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Max Verstappen played a major role in bringing Honda back to relevance in F1 with his maiden world title in 2021. After years of Mercedes dominance, the Dutchman broke their stranglehold on world titles. In the process, Verstappen became Honda's first F1 champion in 30 years since Ayrton Senna in 1991.
Honda boss Masashi Yamamoto lavished praise on Red Bull's Verstappen for his performances during Red Bull and Honda's first season together in 2019. Verstappen famously pointed to the Honda badge after winning the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix, the Japanese manufacturer's first win with Red Bull. Yamamoto said:
“It’s like seeing a young (Ayrton) Senna.”
Ayrton Senna won three titles in 1988, 1990 and 1991, all with Honda engines in his McLaren. The Brazilian legend also collaborated with Honda to help in the development of the Honda NSX, one of the best sports cars to emerge from Japan in the 90s.
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Despite his heroics, Max Verstappen is quite a way off from Senna's record with Honda. The Dutchman has 15 wins, 13 pole positions and a total of 38 podiums to show for his time with Honda. Senna notched up 32 wins, 46 pole positions and 56 podiums.
It is highly unlikely that the Dutchman will be able to catch and surpass Senna's record with Honda after the manufacturer decided to walk away from the sport. Nevertheless, Max Verstappen can take immense pride in being compared with one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time.
Honda's partnership with Max Verstappen and Red Bull to continue till 2025
Despite confirmation that Honda have chosen to leave F1 after the 2021 season, reports have emerged claiming they will remain in the sport until 2025.
A report by Racingnews365 claims Honda will continue supplying engines to Red Bull until the end of the current hybrid era i.e. 2025. However, neither Honda nor any of their sub-brands will have their name featured on Red Bull's cars.
This is unlikely to hamper Honda's image as the company envisions a more sustainable approach for its own future. Engine development cannot happen in F1 until 2026. As a result, Honda has no additional expenditure for RnD. All incurred costs can be invoiced to Red Bull instead.
