MARCH 25, 2002

Honda racing to close the gap

THE Honda Formula 1 engineers, acutely aware that expectations are high, are racing to catch up in the battle for more horsepower. The Japanese firm admits that its engines are rather less powerful than some of the rival machinery but reckons that rumors of the gap being 100 horsepower are wide of the mark. Honda sources say that the company has found the new 90-degree engine to be able to produce the kind of horsepower to be competitive in F1 but that the problem at the moment is getting the engine to survive while running at such high speeds. There is optimism however that the horsepower is there once the issues of reliability have been addressed.

The big question now is how long that is going to take. There are modifications to the engine in the pipeline but it is not expected that these will be of enormous significance until one which is due to arrive at the Canadian GP in June.