McLaren chiefs praised Honda after ending their 13-year wait for a Formula 1 win with Red Bull and Max Verstappen in Austria.
It was a moment many would have considered inconceivable just a few years ago when the Japanese manufacturer was stuck in a rut with the British team, struggling for both performance and reliability.
However, after they split at the end of 2017, Honda has gone from strength-to-strength since teaming up with initially Toro Rosso and then with Red Bull this season, leading to Sunday’s result in Spielberg.
“It’s great to see a new winner in Formula 1, not just for Honda but for Formula 1 as a whole,” recently installed team boss Andreas Seidl was quoted by PlanetF1.
It was CEO Zak Brown who initiated the separation after three years but he too had no hard feelings towards their former partners.
“Congratulations to Honda for their success at the Austrian Grand Prix today. Good for the company and good for F1,” he tweeted.
Interestingly, technical director Toyoharu Tanabe didn’t mention McLaren in citing the progress made since returning to the sport in 2015, which may have caused a slight stir.
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But the Woking-based outfit wasn’t really interested in considering if they had made a mistake by dropping Honda.
“To be honest, that’s before my time so it’s not my concern,” Seidl admitted. “I’m dealing with the team’s current situation and the future, so I’ll refrain from commenting.
“We are pleased with our partnership with Renault because the chassis and the engine are working together very well.
“Renault did a great job in the winter and now there are no questions about the engine.”
