Hamilton says Honda can put Red Bull in contention for 2020!
F1 News
Lewis Hamilton believes that Honda will keep making gains in their engine development over the winter to become a real force in F1 in the 2020 season. The Japanese manufacturer have seriously upped their game since rejoining the sport back in 2015 with McLaren, powering Aston Martin Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen to three wins this season, including last time out in Brazil.
The Honda engine was by far the weakest on the grid when they supplied McLaren, but that didn't stop Red Bull Racing taking the gamble to switch from Renault engines for the start of this season, and it seems to have paid off.
And after an impressive debut season with the frontrunners, reigning world champion Hamilton believes Honda can catapult the team into championship contention next season.
Hamilton told motorsport.com: "Honda has made great strides and it's great to see another manufacturer be as strong as they are now.
"This means that next year we will have a real three or four band battle, and that is great for Formula 1."
The six-time champion went on to reiterate the challenge he is facing with new young drivers such as the duo of Max Verstappen and Alex Albon at Red Bull Racing, saying he still believes he can take the fight to them.
He continued: "It is inevitable that young people move forward. Sometimes a wave of young talents arrives who manages to make their way into Formula 1. I think that F1 has a lot of young blood with a lot of potential and they really are the future of the championship.
"Luckily, I think even though my age increases, I still feel able to fight with these guys. So I'm excited about the future, to compete with them."