Honda: Less pressure with Toro Rosso partnership

Honda’s F1 chief Yusuke Hasegawa acknowledges that their 2018 partnership with Toro Rosso will mean less pressure, at least from the outside.

Honda will bid farewell to McLaren at the end of this season, bringing to an end an unsuccessful three-year relationship.

Instead the Japanese manufacturer will team up with Toro Rosso in 2018.

Asked how the new relationship may differ to that with McLaren, Hasegawa replied: “I don’t think it’s a huge difference.

“We have already started the preparation for next year.

“They are very kind and they are very excited to have a new partnership, which we, of course, are feeling the same thing.

“No, there’s not a big difference, just a new partner.”

He added: “Maybe I will feel a bit less pressure from the outside but from the inside there is no difference.

“We need to prove that we can do a better job for next year.”