Breaking news
Formula 1
Sauber Honda engine deal off, claim sources
Sauber's deal to run Honda engines in Formula 1 next season has been called off, according to multiple sources.
Adam Cooper
Edited: Jul 12, 2017, 10:24 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Reports emerging from Germany on Tuesday had suggested that the Japanese manufacturer had cancelled the deal, in the wake of the departure of team principal Monisha Kaltenborn.
However, sources with good knowledge of the situation have indicated matters are slightly different, and that the contract between Sauber and Honda that was announced earlier this year was never officially completed and activated.
That has led to a situation where Sauber's owners have in recent days decided that they would now prefer to look elsewhere for a power unit for 2018, so the Honda deal will not happen.
When asked for a response to the situation, a Honda spokesperson said: "This is purely media speculation, and we do not comment on speculation. Honda's relationship with Sauber has not changed."
Different opinions
The Honda deal had been put together by Kaltenborn, who left the team shortly before the Azerbaijan GP.
At the time Pascal Picci, chairman of Sauber owners Longbow Finance, said that Kaltenborn's departure was "by mutual consent and due to diverging views of the future of the company".
It is believed that a disagreement over the Honda deal was one of the reasons behind Kaltenborn's sudden departure. In effect, the new owners decided that the team could not afford to be uncompetitive next season, and that it had to focus on getting a decent engine.
The team has already faced a struggle for form in 2017 after Kaltenborn committed it to running year-old Ferrari engines, which are not being developed.
Picci was unavailable for comment.
2017 options
It's not yet clear what route the Swiss outfit will take now.
While extending its long-time deal with Ferrari is the most obvious option, it's understood that might not be so straightforward, in part because McLaren has emerged as a surprise contender for a second customer supply deal alongside Haas.
McLaren had been widely tipped to secure Mercedes engines if its split with Honda went ahead, but there is now understood to be a chance of an alliance with Ferrari.
With Mercedes open to supplying an extra customer deal next deal, if McLaren does go down the Ferrari route then the German car manufacturer could do a deal with Sauber, especially since the Swiss team currently runs junior Pascal Wehrlein.
Renault Sport's Cyril Abiteboul recently confirmed that the French manufacturer is able to supply another team in 2018.
However, one source has suggested that the expected announcement of former Renault F1 team boss Fred Vasseur as the new team principal at Sauber could derail any deal, in the wake of the Frenchman's departure from the Enstone camp at the end of last season.
It remains to be seen what impact the collapse of the Sauber deal will have on Honda's wider plans.
On the one hand it guaranteed a presence in the 2018 field even if there was a split with McLaren, allowing Honda to continue to develop its power unit in racing conditions.
On the other hand it would have meant that Honda could not make a clean break from F1 by ending its deal with McLaren, or take a 'sabbatical' and spend a season or two developing its engine away from the spotlight of a racing season.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article New Williams movie premieres in London’s West End
Next article Sauber names ex-Renault's Vasseur as team principal
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Adam Cooper
RB: Tsunoda “mentally on a different level” in 2024
Formula 1
Formula 1
Japanese GP
Apr 10, 2024
RB: Tsunoda “mentally on a different level” in 2024
Andretti planning F2 and F3 entries to promote US talent to F1 team
Formula 1
Formula 1 Apr 10, 2024
Andretti planning F2 and F3 entries to promote US talent to F1 team
Andretti F1 team formally opens new Silverstone facility
Formula 1
Formula 1 Apr 10, 2024
Andretti F1 team formally opens new Silverstone facility
More from
Marcus Ericsson
Honda crowned 2026 IndyCar manufacturers' champions
IndyCar
IndyCar
Milwaukee Race 2
2 mo
Honda crowned 2026 IndyCar manufacturers' champions
How Marcus Ericsson turned a 'Big reset' into a masterclass on the Streets of Markham
IndyCar
IndyCar
Markham
2 mo
How Marcus Ericsson turned a 'Big reset' into a masterclass on the Streets of Markham
Official race results: 2026 IndyCar at Markham
IndyCar
IndyCar
Markham
2 mo
Official race results: 2026 IndyCar at Markham
More from
Sauber
Sebastian Vettel reveals why BMW didn't want him – but Red Bull did
Formula 1
Formula 1 15 d
Sebastian Vettel reveals why BMW didn't want him – but Red Bull did
You Ask The Questions: Robert Kubica
Formula 1
You Ask The Questions: Robert Kubica
Lewis Hamilton 'almost signed for Sauber' before F1 debut, says Peter Sauber
Formula 1
Formula 1
Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
10 mo
Lewis Hamilton 'almost signed for Sauber' before F1 debut, says Peter Sauber
Latest news
Las Vegas GP reveals neon sign-inspired trophy design
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Las Vegas GP
6 min
Las Vegas GP reveals neon sign-inspired trophy design
IndyCar 2026 season review: Juncos Hollinger Racing
IndyCar
Indy IndyCar 10 min
IndyCar 2026 season review: Juncos Hollinger Racing
Indy NXT unveils 15-race 2027 schedule with four doubleheaders
Indy NXT
IndL Indy NXT 15 min
Indy NXT unveils 15-race 2027 schedule with four doubleheaders
Why aerodynamics will become "even more important" under 2027 MotoGP regulations
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Qatar GP
1 h
Why aerodynamics will become "even more important" under 2027 MotoGP regulations
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe