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Red Bull's hopes of progress with Honda in 2019 have been boosted by Formula 1 fuel supplier ExxonMobil saying it is in the best position it has been for years.
Honda's promising engine development can not be avoided.
Honda needs to finalize its 2019 specification, ExxonMobil has revealed it's much more ahead of its schedule than it was at this stage last year.
With the current turbo-hybrid formula with Honda on further.
ExxonMobil's global motorsports technology manager David Tsurusaki told Autosport: "When we had this announcement with Honda and Toro Rosso last year, it was only getting ready for Barcelona testing in December – which was a short timeline.
"But now, after a year of continuous change, adjustments and testing, we have already been working on 2019 – which is really where you want to be.
"You do not want to do all your upgrades and preparations during the year, and then at the end of it starts working on 2019. You want to be working on 2019 pretty early.
"So the fact we've had the chance to work with the Honda guys again, get comfortable with them, get things rolling, get testing going on and then start working on the single cylinder V6 durability tests now, it's exactly where we want to be.
"We are pretty excited, we are in a good position and think they have the right fuel and the right lubricants ready for 2019."
Red Bull / Honda get early 2019 fuel boost
Another factor that will help progress is the fact that ExxonMobil will have a relationship with Honda next year, and recent partnerships with Renault and Mercedes.
That relationship should help increase the rate at which fuel upgrades can be introduced.
Asked how much that will help, Tsurusaki said: "I would not say it's a major advantage, but it's a big step where we are not competing for time and testing time with someone else.
"In the case of previous engine manufacturers, we are not necessarily the priority to test, we are not only the priority, we are the only ones.
"There were some comments in the past about what is the best way to fuel and oil suppliers, and it is true that if you are dedicated – which means one fuel and oil supplier – then you are minimizing the duplicated testing time. .
"I think we are already seeing things that we can do and we are doing it in a big way."
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