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Red Bull says Honda's new Formula 1 engine is "a thing of beauty" and says the Japanese manufacturer has offered the team the best installation of all time.
The team envisioned its move to the Japanese automaker's engines as a long-term project to bring it back into the title race.
But after an encouraging first day of preseason testing in Barcelona in which Max Verstappen clocked 128 laps and set the fourth fastest time, Red Bull boss Christian Horner praised the new motor unit.
"Power is a dominant factor, but I must say that installing this engine in the chassis is probably the best we've ever had," Horner said.
"When you look at how integrated it is into the chassis, it's really a beauty thing.
"The entire team of engineers working together with Honda has done a great job in installing what looks like a Swiss clock on the back of our chassis."
Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost, whose outfit is also supplied by Honda, said Monday that he had no doubt that his team, sister Red Bull, would win races this year.
Horner asked Autosport if he shared Tost's optimism and said, "It's great to have that enthusiasm and optimism on Franz's part.
"We are excited to be working with Honda in a real partnership, as opposed to a customer-supplier relationship, and we are already feeling the benefits.
"It will not be a quick process, there is no quick fix, and I think as organizations learn more about themselves, their relative strengths and weaknesses, it will not be easy. is something that will grow with time.
"But we do not really have time for that."
Horner added that Honda's readiness for its pre-season testing program was also ahead of what his team had experienced with Renault in recent years.
"Last year, Toro Rosso had already seen great progress and, of course, our decision was based on what we could see and measure," Horner said.
"And I have to say so far, we were very impressed by everything we saw.
"It's the first time in 12 years that our factory has four complete engines, which has not arrived yet."
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