After being left in the dust, Honda motorsport has been awarded the same courtesy that Ferrari and Renault had already been given. Formula One places a significant value on technical innovation. After the regulators handed Mercedes an advantage, the loophole opened up allowing Ferrari and Renault the advantage of updating engines throughout the year.
As is often the case, the issue revolves around the specific wording of the regulations. Ferrari and Renault successfully argued that, contrary to its spirit, the letter of the law (or regulations, in any event) didn’t actually specify when existing engine suppliers had to complete their revisions for the upcoming championship.
The thing is that the rules were more clear when it came to new suppliers, so Honda was told that it would have to complete its design before the start of the season – unlike Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes, which would be allowed to continue development (albeit on a limited basis) throughout the year.
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