Departing Honda proud of Verstappen: 'Can't find the right words'

Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing surprised friend and foe alike by winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and with it the world drivers' championship. This caused a lot of emotional reactions, including at Honda.

Honda F1 chief executives Masashi Yamamoto and Toyoharu Tanabe are glowing with pride for their driver. "From the very beginning, winning championships was always our goal. We put a lot of effort into it, challenged ourselves every day as we strived to improve and now, on the last lap of the last race, we have achieved our goal," said Tanabe in a press release.

"All that effort has paid off and I can't find the words to express what this means," he continues. He adds that he is sorry to have missed out on the constructors' title, but that the engine manufacturer is very happy with Verstappen's drivers' title.

Yamamoto saw a final race that was typical of the 2021 Formula One season. "The race itself was really dramatic and the title was decided in the very last lap of the year. The fight in the final kilometers perfectly reflects how the whole season has gone," he said.