Newey: Our car is not good enough at the moment

The man known for designing some of the most successful F1 race cars in history, admits that Honda have delivered on their side of the bargain but, at the same time, is brave enough to own up to the shortcomings of the chassis which his design team produced for this season.

Speaking to Negen Auto, Newey said, "Honda is really a breath of fresh air. They're great to work with, very direct and very well organized. This new relationship with them has actually motivated the whole team."

"No complaints, they always keep their promises, but they are not yet at the level of Mercedes or Ferrari, nevertheless they instil confidence and I trust they will get there quickly."

"In terms of the chassis, I will be brutally honest: our car is not good enough at the moment. We just have to get to work and improve on our side."

"It's this friendly relationship we have with Honda, which allows us to trust each other and move forward together, without getting in the way of either side. Culturally, absolutely, they are very different, but as long as you respect and understand that, then, it is absolutely fine."

While Max Verstappen has made the most of what he has, his new teammate Pierre Gasly has struggled to match the Dutchman, the Frenchman not helped by a tricky car to drive

Newey said of Gasly's problems, "On his debut, he was very unlucky. In Barcelona testing, he had two big accidents, one in the first week and another in the second week."

"Psychologically, it was a blow to his morale, now he probably drives a little more cautiously, because he knows that if he crashes again, it will not be well received by the team."

"While racing in Bahrain, if you study his pace without aero disruptions in front of him, he was very close to Max, but he has not yet solved his problems in qualifying. "

With just about every team on the grid keen to break the bank for Newey's services, it appears he is happy where he is, "I just feel very comfortable here. I enjoy working here with these people."

"Since Christian [Horner] and I helped build the team, gave it shape, we have a responsibility... So today, why would I want to leave?"

McLaren and Williams, great teams for whom Newey worked for and produced title-winning cars for are a shadow of their former selves, both toiling at the wrong end of the field.

Regarding the woes of the teams he once worked for, Newey said, "McLaren obviously had several difficult years. Their chassis was probably not as good as it should have been, but it does not seem to be the case this year."

"It's good for the sport. They produced a good car, which should allow them to experience a much better season than last year. It is unlikely they have a car capable of winning races, but they have taken a good step, which is positive for the sport. "

"For Williams, who today are firmly at the back of the grid, it's very sad. I just hope they have the finances to make the right decisions, to start good research in their development so as to get out of this situation," added Newey.

https://www.grandprix247.com/2019/03/12/marko-the-rb15-is-the-best-and-most-expensive-we-have-built/