Honda will bring the Spec-3 of its Power Unit to France

In the search for the best performance and to try to further close the gap separating it from Mercedes et Ferrari, Honda will push a new update of its V6 turbo / hybrid Power Unit at the French Grand Prix this weekend at Paul Ricard.

A “Spec-3” evolution which will be mainly centered on the thermal engine and the turbo, with extensive collaboration with the aero department to offer optimal integration and performance for the single-seaters powered by the Japanese engine.

Si Max Verstappen et Pierre Gasly, residents of Red Bull Racing, will logically be affected by this new feature, Honda has also decided to mount this new Power Unit on the Toro Rosso by Daniil Kvyat, undoubtedly to benefit from more comparative data. But the Russian will have to deal with a penalty on the grid with this engine change.

“Our test bench data shows an increase in power compared to the previous version of our Power Unit, but we know that we have not yet matched the figures of the engine manufacturers currently leading the championship,” confesses Toyoharu Tanabe , technical director of Honda F1.

But it is a step in the right direction and we will continue our development throughout the season by drawing on the resources of the entire company. »

Alone Alex Albon will not be able to count on the Power Unit Spec-3 from Honda in France, but the Thai Toro Rosso will be able to offer a point of comparison for the Japanese engine manufacturer, between the two versions of its engine block. Honda brought its Spec-2 engine to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, evolution focused on reliability.