Kaltenborn sure Honda will improve

Monisha Kaltenborn says she is confident Honda will make a big step forward in formula one for 2018.

It was announced on Sunday that Sauber, currently a customer Ferrari team with a year-old power unit, will switch to Honda next year.

Honda, having notably struggled since returning to F1 in 2015, confirmed that the McLaren partnership will continue.

"We will continue our challenges so that our fans will enjoy seeing a Honda with dominant strength as soon as possible," said a Honda communications spokesperson.

Sauber boss Kaltenborn said that despite Honda’s problems with McLaren, she is confident good times are ahead.

"Do I think they will improve? I am sure of it," she told Russia’s Championat.

"I remember the situation with other manufacturers and we see where they are now. Honda will be no different," said Kaltenborn.

There has also been speculation Honda will get help in catching up, possibly from Mercedes but also from the FIA, with the governing body having concluded a performance parity analysis.

But the FIA’s Charlie Whiting is quoted by AS newspaper: "It (the analysis) was not about helping anyone, but showing that the measures that were put in place, like eliminating the tokens, helped the convergence. And it did."