A first look at Honda's new F1 power unit

During the Japanese Grand Prix, Honda offered a preview of the F1 power unit under development in the form of a film, including the sound of the engine revving, accompanied by an image of the power unit.

Yasuhisa Arai, Senior Managing Officer of Honda R&D Co., Ltd., who is heading the F1 Project, revealed that development of the power unit is entering its prime phase at Honda's R&D facility in Sakura, Japan. In addition to conducting simulations, Honda has moved onto the next stage where it will conduct full-fledged bench tests of the lump while connecting the turbocharger and energy recovery systems.

In the meantime, Arai also revealed that Honda's racing operation base in Milton Keynes, U.K., is now fully operational and remarked the whole team is hard at work, preparing for its highly anticipated return to the pinnacle of motorsports in around six months.