Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly says the team will benefit from being Honda’s sole partner in 2018, and believes there will be “no compromise” as the Japanese marque strives to prove its worth.
Honda returned to Formula 1 with McLaren in 2015 but the partnership was plagued by a lack of reliability and performance, restricting the outfit to a best race result of fifth and highest championship classification of sixth.
McLaren and Honda ultimately split, with Toro Rosso picking up the Japanese powertrains on a three-year deal, as the only team to be supplied by Honda.
Having effectively been Renault’s third priority through 2017, Gasly, who will step up to Formula 1 full-time in 2018, believes being Honda’s sole partner will be beneficial.
“Exactly, I think that’s how it should look at it,” said Gasly when asked if being Honda’s focus was of use to Toro Rosso.
“Their goal is to prove to everyone that they can make fast engines and we are the only ones to have their engines.
“We’re sure they’ll give everything they can to give the best treatment and there will be no compromise, so I think this is positive thing.
“They will have an extra three or four months to improve before the beginning of the year.
“They are definitely improving; when you look at the McLarens, they are much better now [at the end of 2017] than like six months ago.
“If they [Honda] manage to keep this momentum I think it will be a good move and I think it will surprise everyone in a nice way so let’s hope it can happen.”
Toro Rosso finished seventh in the 2017 Constructors’ Championship, having slipped behind Renault during the final round of the year in Abu Dhabi.
