Red Bull is willing to take engine penalties during the 2019 Formula 1 season to capitalise on any development gains made by new power unit supplier Honda. 

Having ended its long-term partnership with Renault in a bid to get back into F1 championship♏ contention and close the gap to rivals Mercedes and Ferrari, the Milton Keynes squad h📖as followed sister team Toro Rosso in taking on Honda engines for the upcoming season. 

Team principal Christian Horner claimed the Japanese engine manufacturer has provided Red Bull with its 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:best-ever installation, describing Honda’s new🃏 ๊power unit as a “thing of beauty”. 

Asked if Red Bull would be willing to take grid dro✅ps in 2019 for enhanced engine development, Horner replied: “Yes I think if it makes💙 sense. 

“You saw in 🦩previous years if you pick the penalties at the right𓂃 venues. 

“In Russia last year Max was already back in the top five by lap six so if you pick the right venue and assists the development of the powe🅰r unit then strategically you can lessen the pain."

Honda enjoyed a strong start to pre-season testing by completin💯g the most mileage of any engine manufacturer across the first week in Barcelona, with Red Bull left encouraged by its proꦏgress. 

“I think Honda have had a good winter and certainly they are reducing that gap significantly but of course what you don’t know is what the others have done," Horner explain📖ed. 

“If they have found another 50kw then we’ve got a big issue. We’ve been very impressed by the approach of Hondꦆa and the progress that they’ve made. 

“For us it’s a vital piece of the jigsaw🦂 to get us into a competitive position not just for this year but for next year and potentially b🎀eyond.”

Horner hopes Red Bull can take advantage of✤ Pierre Gasly’s experience of the Honda power unit from his time at Toro Rosso prior to his promotion. 

“I think it’s given him a good combination of knowledge so he know♔s the strengths and weakness𓆏es and is able to focus the engineering team on that,” Horner said. 

“I think it’s only a positive that he brings that experience and data bank of knowledꦦge with him.

“The expectation for us is very much t🍎o make p🥂rogress,” he added. “New year, new regulations, new engine partner, new driver. 

“Our objective is to try and close that gap between ourselves and Mercedes and Ferrari, and tr෴y and achieve a more consistent performance a variants of circuits. 

“Previously our strengths wer🥃e at circuits that were very chassis focused but we’re hopeful with the changes that we’ve made that we will be able to have a more consistent season across a variants of circuits.”