Just before the F1 Japan GP! Red Bull Honda F1 engine 2022 mid-highlights[F1-Gate.com]

Honda has finished participating in F1 as an F1 power unit supplier until 2021. From the 2022 season, at the request of the Red Bull Group, the new HRC (Honda Racing) will support Red Bull Powertrains, the power unit development department.

Red Bull power units will be used by two teams, Oracle Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri. From Oracle Red Bull Racing, the new champion Max Verstappen, who brought the 2021 Honda F1 drivers’ title for the first time in 30 years, and Sergio Perez, who ranked 4th last season.

Scuderia AlphaTauri has appointed Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda, the only Japanese F1 regular driver. Both teams continued with the same line-ups as in 2021, and started the 2022 season.

The opening round F1 Bahrain GP held on March 20 was tough for the two teams. Verstappen, Perez, and Gasly, who were competing for the top positions, all retired in the final stage due to machine trouble. Although Tsunoda finished the race in 8th place, it was a tough start.

The situation improved in the second round of the F1 Saudi Arabian GP the following week, and Verstappen won a fierce battle with Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and won the first victory of the season. However, in the third round, the F1 Australian GP, Verstappen’s machine again experienced trouble and retired. With this, Leclerc, who has been in great form since the start of the season, has a big gap in points.

The new machine was made under the new regulations of this season, so it was a little uneasy in the early stages of the race, but from the 4th round F1 Emilia Romagna GP held from April 22nd to 24th, improvement was shown at once. Verstappen finished the qualifying sprint at the top and won the pole to win the final race. Perez finished in 2nd place, achieving his first 1-2 finish of the season. Verstappen continued to win the F1 Miami GP and the F1 Spain GP, surpassing Leclerc and rising to the top of the ranking.

Round 7, which was greeted with a good flow, is the F1 Monaco GP, which is famous as one of the world’s three major races. Perez and Verstappen started from the 2nd row on a course that was difficult to overtake, but Perez took the lead thanks to his clever pit strategy and won his first Monaco GP victory. He also became the first Mexican driver to win.

Oracle Red Bull Racing continues to show momentum in Round 8, F1 Azerbaijan GP. Verstappen and Perez finished 1-2 for the third time this season at Baku, known as a high-speed street course. Verstappen also won Round 9, the Canadian Grand Prix, and entered the standings at the top of the ranking. Ferrari wins the 10th and 11th rounds, but Verstappen wins the 12th round F1 France GP. In the 13th round F1 Hungarian GP, Verstappen’s power unit problem occurred in qualifying and he started 10th. However, as a result of taking measures for the final, Verstappen regained the pace that overwhelmed the others and won the come-from-behind victory from 10th. After a satisfying weekend called “one of the best races for me”, we entered the summer break of less than a month.

On August 2nd, during the summer break, it was announced that HRC’s support, which was initially until the end of 2022, would be extended to the 2025 season, making the partnership even stronger in the second half of the race. In the 14th round F1 Belgian GP, he achieved a 1-2 finish for the fourth time this season, and Verstappen also won the pole-to-win in his home country Netherlands and the 16th round Italian GP, winning 5 consecutive wins. He finished 7th in the 17th round, the F1 Singapore GP, but with 11 wins and overwhelming strength so far, he leads the championship with a difference of more than 100 points from Leclerc in 2nd place. As early as this weekend, there is a possibility that the championship will be decided at the Japanese GP.

Oracle Red Bull Racing is in good shape, with Perez also in 3rd place, just behind Leclerc. In contrast, Scuderia AlphaTauri has not been on the podium so far, with Gasly in 13th and Tsunoda in 17th.

For Yuki Tsunoda, who graduated from Suzuka Circuit Racing School, Suzuka is a home course that he is more familiar with than any other driver. It will be his first home GP, and he will aim for the best result of the season, earning points for the first time since Round 6.