Honda silent on Red Bull: 'They made their decision'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Even the best marriages sometimes come to an end. Red Bull Racing and Honda seemed like the perfect couple for years, but they have decided to part ways after all. During a press conference in Japan, Honda revealed which of the two parties had finally filed for divorce.
Honda announced its exit from Formula 1 at the end of 2021. Red Bull was, however, allowed to continue using the power units, under the name Red Bull Powertrains. After Max Verstappen became champion, Honda seemed to have regretted the departure by mid-2022. Ties with Red Bull were strengthened and the Honda name reappeared on the cars. This was possibly the prelude to a renewed partnership from 2026, when the new power units make their entrance into F1.
Looking for other team
Red Bull recently announced it was partnering with Ford. The American brand will lend its name to the power units Red Bull makes in-house, with help from Ford. So Honda - if it wants to remain active in Formula 1 - will have to look for another team.
During the press meeting, Honda - as noted The Race noted - Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe did not show the back of his tongue. He indicated that Red Bull had informed his company in advance that a deal with Ford was imminent. "They made their decision. There’s nothing further that I can say about this", Watanabe said.
Best option gone
Honda will no doubt realize that Red Bull was the best option for success in Formula 1. That his company and the Austrians will not continue working with each other, Watanabe does not qualify as a failure. “As a technical partner, we’re always in contact with Red Bull. So, there are many topics that we have discussed. But out of this dialogue, it was decided that we will not continue this partnership beyond 2025.”