Patton thinks it's time for Honda to spend a fortune to win the title and it's time to leave

Jenson Button believes it's time for Honda to leave F1 because they've put in a lot of money to support Red Bull's world title honours.

The Japanese engine maker has pulled out of F1, but in the coming years they will remain in close contact with Red Bull Power as their intellectual property is still used by Red Bull Racing. Barton has a close connection with Honda as he ran 140 times with their engine in F1 and he fully understands why they decided to quit and concentrate their main resources on other areas.

Barton said: "They were so passionate about their game and it was a shame to see them leave again, but I know how much they spent and it was a lot of money, so I kind of understand why they're leaving and it's time. But they've had a fantastic year in the sport, and it's been enjoyable for them because it's not an easy journey for them. ”

Barton also regrets that his former team, McLaren, did not continue working with Honda, saying: "I was with them at the beginning of this V6 hybrid project and it was not easy for them, in the hybrid era they had difficulties when they first entered, they were obviously a few years behind others and there were a lot of reliability issues. I think it's a shame that McLaren didn't catch them, and when they're not competitive, they're easy to blame. When they work with teams like Red Bull, they seem to have found a very good partnership. It's great to see Honda win the title again because their last victory before the Red Bull era was one I won in 2006, it was a long time ago, so it's nice to see them win. ”