Wolff: Honda will be strong competitor in future

Mercedes motorsport chief Toto Wolff expects Honda to shake off its woeful 2015 campaign to bounce back as a ‘strong competitor’ in the near future.

The Japanese manufacturer’s reunion with McLaren was surrounded by much hype but the two partners ended up experiencing a torrid season amidst poor engine performance and reliability. Wolff’s comments echo those of Mercedes engine boss Andy Cowell, who recently described Honda as “a big threat”.

“Honda is a huge organisation with lots of resource, and they were the power unit with the most impressive development curve through 2015,” Wolff said in Mercedes’ latest YouTube video.

“Even if it was a very difficult year for them, it was still very good what they achieved in terms of how they progressed through the season. I have no doubt they will be a strong competitor in the future.”

Mercedes has been ruling the F1 roost since the introduction of the current 1.6-litre V6 turbocharged power units, but Wolff insists the double world champions must not rest on their laurels if they want to enjoy further success.

“As a team, because the environment always changes, the regulations change, the politics… you need to adapt yourself – I read once that the most successful species are the ones that are able to adapt themselves the most quickly and this is how Formula One functions.

“There are threats we know today, but there are ones we don’t know and they’ll develop tomorrow, so we just need to be aware that anything is possible in Formula One.”

Testing a livery

Fighting over one last seat - the drivers in the frame at Manor

Key dates for the 2016 F1 season

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Julien Billiotte

Recent Posts

Lawson opens up about online abuse following Red Bull promotion

Liam Lawson has revealed that he became the target of online abuse by fans of…

15 mins ago

Norris and Leclerc agree: Sainz 'deserves to fight at the front'

As Carlos Sainz prepares for a new chapter in his Formula 1 career with Williams,…

1 hour ago

Sebastian Montoya steps up to Formula 2 with Prema

Sebastian Montoya, the 19-year-old son of former Formula 1 star Juan Pablo Montoya, is set…

16 hours ago

Sauber finds its ‘Northern Star’ under Binotto’s leadership

When former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto took on the role of Chief Operating Officer…

18 hours ago

Leclerc hails a season ‘without missed opportunities' in 2024

Charles Leclerc concluded the 2024 F1 season with a sense of satisfaction, the Ferrari driver…

19 hours ago

Coulthard sounds alarm over FIA president’s rift with F1 drivers

Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has voiced his dismay at FIA president Mohammed Ben…

21 hours ago