Honda

Verstappen DNF leaves Honda unhappy despite breaking Suzuka drought

Matthew Scott Monday 14 October 2019 19:00

Verstappen DNF leaves Honda unhappy despite breaking Suzuka drought

Honda remained unfulfilled despite breaking its points drought on home soil at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Alexander Albon and Pierre Gasly finished fourth and eighth respectively for Red Bull and Toro Rosso, securing Honda's first points at Suzuka since returning to the sport in 2015.

However, Max Verstappen had been forced to retire after a first-lap collision wiped out an excellent start that might have put him in podium contention.

Honda's official recap labelled the race a "frustrating afternoon" and "a case of what might have been", with technical director Toyoharu Tanabe similarly regretful.

He said: "We managed to get three of our four cars into the top ten in the morning qualifying, which was satisfactory.

"Verstappen's realistic chance of a podium disappeared almost immediately after his collision with Leclerc, which led to him retiring in the garage with a badly damaged floor.

"For a first visit to Suzuka, Albon did exceptionally well as did Gasly, who finished in the points after just missing out on the top ten last year in Suzuka.

"It was great to see the grandstand with 12,000 Honda fans and overall, a bigger crowd than in recent years. Everyone in the Honda team appreciated their support.

"Today's result did not live up to our expectations, so we want to come back stronger next year and give our fans something more to cheer about."

Latest News

GPFans Recap

Ricciardo tipped for NEW F1 role as star makes COMEBACK at Las Vegas Grand Prix - GPFans Recap

2 hours ago

Las Vegas Grand Prix

F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix: The music artists set to star at STUNNING event

3 hours ago

Latest F1 News

Mercedes star SHOCKED by FIA reaction after damning drivers' statement

Yesterday 21:33

Latest F1 News

Verstappen reveals F1 RETIREMENT clue ahead of Las Vegas GP

Yesterday 20:47

Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton drops Mercedes BOMBSHELL ahead of Las Vegas GP

Yesterday 20:02

Las Vegas Grand Prix

F1 star reveals DEPORTATION threat at Las Vegas Grand Prix

Yesterday 19:18

More news

F1 Race Calendar 2024

GP AUSTRIA 28 - 30 Jun

George Russell

GP GREAT BRITAIN 5 - 7 Jul

Lewis Hamilton

GP HUNGARY 19 - 21 Jul

Oscar Piastri

GP BELGIUM 26 - 28 Jul

Lewis Hamilton

GP NETHERLANDS 23 - 25 Aug

Lando Norris

GP ITALY 30 Aug - 1 Sep

Charles Leclerc

GP AZERBAIJAN 13 - 15 Sep

Oscar Piastri

GP SINGAPORE 20 - 22 Sep

Lando Norris

GP USA 18 - 20 Oct

Charles Leclerc

GP MEXICO 25 - 27 Oct

GP QATAR 29 Nov - 1 Dec

GP ABU DHABI 6 - 8 Dec

Complete kalender 2024

F1 News 24/7

Races

About GPFans

GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.

We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.

With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.

Follow us on your favorite social media channel

Corporate & Media

Innovatieweg 20C
7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860

CHOOSE YOUR COUNTRY

Verstappen DNF leaves Honda unhappy despite breaking Suzuka drought

Verstappen DNF leaves Honda unhappy despite breaking Suzuka drought