Mugen calls time on F1

Mugen's nine-year spell in F1 is over

Engine supplier Mugen Honda has announced that it is pulling out of Formula One.

The Japanese company, which has close links with Honda, will therefore end a nine-year spell in F1.

It supplied Jordan this year, but the Anglo-Irish team is switching to a supply of works Honda engines for 2001.

Honda has decided it does not want to split its effort between two different engine programmes, so it has called a halt to Mugen's involvement.

Minardi is still struggling to find an engine

That decision is believed to have come against the wishes of Mugen Honda boss Hirotoshi Honda, a scion of the Honda family, who wanted to carry on in F1.

"Regrettably, we have decided to stop our F1 activity at the end of the season," Honda said.

Mugen's departure leaves the struggling Minardi team, which has yet to secure an engine deal for 2001, with one less option.

The Italian outfit, though, is expected to be rescued by a supply of the same Renault customer engines that were used in 2000 by Benetton and Arrows.

The Renault engine, although comparatively outdated in F1 terms, would still be a major step forward compared to the customer Ford V10s that Minardi has used for the last two years.