The Covid restrictions in Formula 1 have now taken away panel discussions for the drivers’ press conferences. Looking back, when there was the perfect mix of drivers, it usually gave way to some of the best content. Especially when it perfectly combined Fernando Alonso, Daniel Ricciardo, Sebastian Vettel, and none other than Lewis Hamilton. Now, with Honda once again making its way out of F1, there was a time Hamilton wished they’d never come back.

Ahead of the 2017 Australian GP in March, Lewis Hamilton and the drivers in his company were asked, “What would be your top three wishes?” As they threw the answers around, there were some good ideas; a race in Vegas, V12s…

As McLaren’s Alonso wished for equal engines, Hamilton slyly added, “I don’t agree with that one.” Ricciardo seemed up for the idea, as long as F1 steered away from electric PUs. Hamilton added another condition: “Not Honda.”

As Alonso smiled with the Honda logo on his shirt, Hamilton cleared the air, and Daniel Ricciardo joked: “Headlines”. 

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Ironically, six months later, Honda cut ties with McLaren, announcing its partnership with Toro Rosso. The engine manufacturer would go on to power Red Bull engines for five years, including Max Verstappen‘s championship-winning RB16B.

Lewis Hamilton evaded Honda-powered car

In his years with McLaren from 2007 to 2012, the Japanese manufacturer did not power the team. Rather, Hamilton has driven with a Mercedes power unit his entire career. After leaving Formula 1 for the third time, Honda had found its way back in 2015.

For F1’s second season of the V6 engine, Honda shook hands with McLaren, thus reviving their partnership from the 80s and 90s. However, their partnership wasn’t as successful as McLaren would have wanted. In their first season together, the McLaren-Honda package finished ninth in the constructor’s fight; a P5 being the highlight of their season.

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A disappointing P9 followed the P6 in 2016 on the board, thus souring the relationship between the teams. In 2017, the relationship was terminated, as the marque moved on the manufacturing engines for Red Bull teams. And the rest is history.

After a successful run with Red Bull, once again, the curtain falls on Honda’s time in Formula 1. Will we see the Japanese name back in the game, or will Lewis Hamilton wish upon a shooting star?

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