Back in the time, the relationship between Red Bull and Renault ended in 2018. Apparently, unlike Mercedes and Ferrari, the Milton-Keynes-based team has to rely on other groups for their car’s machine and engineering parts. Until 2018 Renault was helping them. But after their quarrelsome partnership was cut short, the Japanese Manufacturing company, Honda, came to their rescue.
After shaking hands with the Austrian racing team in 2018, the Japanese company helped their junior team, Alpha Tauri, for a whole year. Later in the 2019 season, Red Bull used a Honda engine in the back of the RB15 at a perfect time.
Like the Red Bull team, who did not have a good time during their previous Renault partnership, Honda came after a failed collaboration with Maclaren. So, both parties were happy to help each other. After a long wait, they finally won the 2021 title with Max Verstappen, and Honda engines helped them reach their goal.
Albeit, the Honda team withdrew all of a sudden during the final stage of the 2021 season. They shifted their focus to the electric road car business, which did not let them participate in the F1 races.
But for the 2022 season, the trio of Red Bull and Honda had cemented their partnership which already existed. Honda Racing Corporation, along with Red Bull Powertrains, will power both the Red Bull Racing and the Alpha Tauri till the 2023 season, as confirmed. And this partnership will go on till 2026. Their partnership is also established well for the 2023 season, as the engines used are now named Honda RBPT.
Red Bull Is Careful After What Happened Between Honda And Maclaren
According to chief Christian Horner, Red Bull is prepared to make all the arrangements to make Honda happy. The main reason it did not work out between Maclaren and Honda is that the latter insisted on having a ‘size zero’ design. This decision came up so that the power units could have been forced into an inadequate space.
In an interview with RacingNews365.com, Horner expressed that he understands how the Honda team feels. According to Horner, Honda must be thrilled to know their partner is willing to do whatever is necessary to get the best performance. The Red Bull boss feels that Honda is a committed and passion-driven company in the racing world. And the desire of Honda’s design and operational team are clear.
Boss Feels It Won’t Change Their Desire To Build Their Cars Even If Honda Makes A Comeback
After the sudden withdrawal in 2021, the Honda team can return to F1 Motorsport in 2026. The Honda team suggested that their FIA registrations are completed as manufacturers are interested according to the engine rules of 2026.
Christian Horner is not very worried about the possibility of Honda coming back in 2026. He revealed that Honda is committed to them till the 2025 season. But their focus will be on manufacturing their engines and stuff from the next season.
