Otmar Szafnauer, vice-president of Honda Racing Development (HRD), took time out in the run-up to next weekend's Belgian GP, to answer some questions on current issues surrounding Honda™€™s Formula One programme.

Honda announced at the Hungarian Grand Prix that its partnership with Jordan is to finish at the end of the 2002 season. Could you elaborate a little more on this?
Otmar Szafnauer: We're happy that we were able to reach a mutual agreement and release Jordan from the contract one year early so Eddie Jordan could sign a long-term engine deal for next year. We've strengthened the internal Formula One structure within Honda R&D and restructured our joint chassis development project with British American Racing. Honda will continue its challenge for the FIA Formula One World Championship with B.A.R and we're looking forward to some exciting racing next year.

What stage of development is the new engine for 2003 at and what is the level of progress being made?
OS: The timing for next year's engine is pretty tight, as I'm sure it is with the other manufacturers. It's an entirely new engine and the design phase is almost complete, with the new powerplant scheduled to run on the dyno at the end of September. Following that there will be more upgrades and further dyno runs towards the end of this year, with the engine running in a car for the first time in early January. Although the timing is tight, the programme is on schedule and we'll continue to push ahead.

The 2002 engine, the RA002E has benefited from a number of development steps during the season. Will that continue to the end of the year?
OS: Development steps will continue with the RA002E for the rest of the season. We made a significant step for the French Grand Prix and we expect two or three additional steps for the remainder of this year. There are four races left in which we will introduce further improvements to the engine.

Now you've been at Honda Racing Development for six months, how do you think Honda's approach to motorsport differs from other manufacturers and those in F1™ in particular?
OS: Honda's approach to F1™ differs from some of the other manufacturers in the sense that we go racing first and foremost for racing reasons, rather than commercial and marketing exploitation reasons. Honda is in Formula One because it's the most difficult challenge from a racing perspective and we want to show the world that we can be winners in a highly technical and competitive formula.

Are there elements of Honda's approach that stand out in particular?
OS: Although budgets are very important for every manufacturer, including Honda, one difference is that when performance enhancements are found for the engine, budgets aren't necessarily a primary consideration. When a technical advantage is found it is pursued at Honda independent of the budget, which is a little different to some of the other motor manufacturers, where the financial departments scrutinise and perhaps influence some of the technical decisions and developments. Honda's Formula One programme is R&D led, technically led and sometimes therefore pure financial considerations take a back seat to technical developments. At other manufacturers that may not necessarily be the case.

We hear a lot about Honda's commitment to the development of its young engineers through the Formula One programme. Do you think that has a role to play in Honda's approach to racing?
OS: Absolutely; part of Honda's approach to Formula One is to develop the technology and skills in-house. To do that successfully into the future, young engineers benefit from being trained within a racing environment such as F1™, and the rotation of the young engineers means that perhaps an engineer that today works closely with a team running one of the cars, will in two years time be designing engines back in Japan. So he will understand the requirements for a Formula One engine and the on-track demands when he's in the middle of design. This approach is different to other manufacturers, where some of them go out and headhunt key people to give them a strategic advantage. Honda however develops all its engineers internally, using engineering talents from within the company to develop its technical advantages and engines.

What assessment do you make of Honda's position so far this year and the potential for development in the remaining part of the season?
OS: Our goals are quite aggressive for the remainder of this year as well as next year. They're achievable and we'll be working hard at reaching them. However, we're not happy with our performance to date. We are making progress but the rate of progress needs to continue to increase and we are working towards that. Because we're never satisfied, we continue to work hard to catch and surpass the engine manufacturers and teams that are ahead of us on the grid. We recognise that F1™ is a massive challenge but we've taken it on and want to win - that's what we're here to do.

What is the progress on the chassis project with B.A.R?
OS: Honda has been working closely with B.A.R for three years now on the Joint Chassis Development Project and during that period we have established where Honda's resources best fit in with B.A.R's so that they are used efficiently in helping the overall chassis programme. In the future there will be some minor changes in the areas that Honda will focus its efforts to avoid overlap and underlap and ensure that both Honda's and B.A.R's resources are used to the full, but the Joint Chassis Development programme will continue and grow.