Honda revealed this week that it will stop competing in Formula One after the 2021 season in order to focused on developing battery and fuel cell electric vehicles in order to become carbon neutral by 2050.
A few days later, Honda Performance Development, which manages the company’s IndyCar engine supply program and is based in the US, reaffirmed the company’s long-term commitment to the seriesmaas. Although hybrid engines are not yet used in IndyCar, they will be in 2023.
It was a difficult decision for the company to quit Formula One, Yamamoto acknowledged during today’s FIA press conference at the Nurburgring.
The choice to work on upcoming carbon-neutral projects had to be made.
According to Yamamoto, the decision to cancel the Formula 1 project was made to make room for the engineers on other initiatives.
“We also thought about continuing with both our current work and Formula 1 before the impending deadline for carbon neutrality. In the end, it was decided to change the top engineers to work on the upcoming power units, etc. Sadly, as a result of that, we were unable to continue with Formula 1.
Operating out of two locations in Sakura and Milton Keynes, Honda’s F1 project. For the project to be carbon neutral compared to the F1 project, their engineers based in Japan must be relocated.
“In this instance, a large portion of our R&D workforce is situated in Japan, so we had to allocate engineers who would have otherwise been working there for our future work, Yamamoto stated.
Formula 1 has made plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, which is far ahead of Honda’s intended deadline. Yamamoto responded that Honda and F1 are incompatible with one other when asked how that could be the case “the same way as each other.
“However, Honda has consumers all throughout the world for its vehicle, motorcycle, and everyday product lines, so we had to shift our top engineers sooner to work on upcoming carbon-neutral initiatives.
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Honda quitting the IndyCar Series?
While the manufacturers weren’t happy to hear that the new IndyCar engines will not be ready until 2024 owing to supply chain concerns, Honda was given the opportunity to break a bad record.
Honda is quitting F1, but not IndyCar, so why?
However, the alliance is rapidly coming to an end. Honda formally declared its intention to leave Formula One at the end of current season late last year in order to concentrate its efforts on the advancement of electric road vehicle technology.
“Toyoharu Tanabe, Honda F1’s development guru, states that regardless of whether this was our final season or not, we have merely maintained working very hard. ” Since we began this program, we have put a lot of effort into it every year. It’s somewhat sentimental. It’s a little depressing to know that for us, this is the final season.
Tanabe’s voice indicates that, even though he is aware of the corporate justifications behind Honda’s choice, the knowledge that this will be the manufacturer’s final F1 season is more than a little depressing.
Will Honda return to the F1?
As a result, when I ran into Watanabe in Red Bulls Energy Station, I asked him if Honda and HRC were interested in staying up to date on the 2026 regulation revisions. He responded, “We are always observing what is happening in the F1 world.”
Naturally, because we recently finished and concluded our F1 activities, the Honda firm has not yet discussed the 2026 season. Hence, no plan.
It is not a closed door [to F1], he continued. According to what I gather, F1 is debating the rules for 2026, and carbon neutrality is unquestionably the direction things are going. We are traveling in the same direction. It’s not a closed door because it’s probably a wonderful opportunity to research carbon neutrality to F1.
Honda has not participated in the negotiations about the 2026 engine standards, according to Watanabe.
Currently, the focus of Japanese automakers is on making their mass-produced road cars carbon neutral, but according to Watanabe, once we realize that we can do this, we can think about F1.
Is Honda quitting the racing scene?
Following seven years of providing hybrid power units to first McLaren, then AlphaTauri, and ultimately Red Bull, Honda stated in October 2020 that it would end its F1 program after the 2021 season.
Due to this, Red Bull decided to headquarter the engine development at its Milton Keynes site. To lead the new Red Bull Powertrains section, Red Bull attracted personnel from Honda and other rival teams.
Honda struggled for years with McLaren, but in the end produced significant engine advancements that allowed Red Bull to fight with the strong Mercedes team and enabling Max Verstappen to win the 2021 world championship in a thrilling final matchup with Lewis Hamilton.
Personally, I concur, Yamamoto said. However, it is clear that this was a corporate choice, and I concur with the direction the company is taking, so in the end, we must accept that.
“However, we always have the ability to dream, therefore we hope Honda will return to F1 someday.”
Are Honda engines used in Indy cars?
The 3-liter and 3.5-liter Honda Indy V8 racing engines are naturally aspirated V8s that were created and manufactured for the IndyCar Series by Honda Performance Development in collaboration with Ilmor Engineering.
Subaru Newsroom From the 2003 until the 2011 IndyCar Series season, the V8 engine enjoyed great success. The Honda Indy V6 engine took its place the following year. At the 2002 Detroit Auto Show, the Honda Indy V8 was debuted. It was built at the HPD power assembly plant in Santa Clarita, California, and at Ilmor Engineering Inc. in Plymouth, Michigan, both in the United States.
Do F1 athletes compete in IndyCar?
Callum Ilott (Chevrolet), one of the drivers who frequently competes in the 2022 IndyCar Series, is under contract with the F1 team, and it is probable that he will not compete in the IndyCar race due to events on the F1 side like Ericsson. After competing in F1 for ten seasons, Romain Grosjean made the jump to IndyCar in 2021.
At Red Bull, who will take Honda’s place?
“Honda getting ready to depart Red Bull During the US Grand Prix, Honda will be replaced by Acura in the team’s livery and driver uniforms.
Honda has provided Red Bull with exceptional servicing over the past three years, finally enabling them to join the championship race at the front. The business vision of Japanese firms is changing, nevertheless. Thus, they have made the decision to depart F1.
Honda will be attempting a marketing gimmick with Red Bull during their final journey to Austin, Texas, together, thus the transition to Honda’s leaving is about to begin.
Acura will take the place of Honda on Red Bull’s rear-wings and suits at Circuit of the Americas, according to Racingnews365. Honda’s name won’t be completely removed from view, though it will be on a smaller scale.
Honda’s luxury car brand Acura was first introduced to American consumers over 35 years ago. Therefore, it is a great chance for Honda to further sell their brand in the home western market.
Why did Toyota quit Formula One?
Kawasaki, a manufacturer of motorcycles, also disbanded its MotoGP squad as a result of a severe market downturn.
After the 2010 season, Japanese tire manufacturer Bridgestone said on Monday that they will not extend their supply agreement with Formula One.
To cut costs during the worldwide economic downturn, Toyota’s Fuji International Speedway circuit gave up hosting rights for the Japanese Grand Prix in 2010 and beyond in July.
Honda-backed Super Aguri, which departed from F1 early last year because to financial concerns, marked the beginning of Japanese corporations leaving the sport.
With Toyota’s departure, Ferrari (FIAT), Mercedes, and Renault are the only remaining Formula One manufacturers.
It also gives BMW-new Sauber’s Swiss owners the opportunity to join the grid as the 13th team.
Toyota committed to F1 until at least 2012 by signing the Concorde deal earlier this year, so a withdrawal could have legal repercussions.
On 16 trillion yen in sales, Toyota expects an operational loss of 750 billion yen ($8.3 billion). Results for the second quarter are expected to be announced on Thursday.
Yumiko Nishitani contributed more reporting, while Peter Rutherford and John O’Brien edited the article.
Why did BMW abandon Formula One?
Since the World Drivers’ Championship was established in 1950, BMW has been involved in Formula One in a variety of capacities. Before developing the BMW M12/13 inline-four turbocharged engine in the 1980s, the business competed in sporadic races in the 1950s and 1960s (typically under Formula Two rules). The team’s chassis were powered by BMW engines from 1982 to 1987 as a consequence of an agreement between BMW and Brabham. Nelson Piquet won the 1983 title while operating a Brabham BT52-BMW during this time. ATS, Arrows, Benetton, and Ligier teams were also given the M12/13 by BMW during this time, with varying degrees of success. Brabham briefly left the sport in 1988, and BMW stopped officially supporting the engines, which were still being used by the Arrows team under the Megatron moniker. The 1989 revision of the Formula One Technical Regulations outlawed turbocharged engines, making the M12/13 obsolete.
In the late 1990s, BMW made the decision to return to Formula One and entered into an exclusive agreement with the Williams team, which was in need of a new long-term engine supplier following the departure of Renault in 1997. A new V10 engine was produced as a result of the work and debuted in competition in the Williams FW22 in 2000. The collaboration advanced from the midfield to contending for race victories the next year, but the desired title remained elusive due to Michael Schumacher and Ferrari’s domination in the first half of the 2000s. BMW decided to sever ways with Williams in 2005 as their relationship had deteriorated, and instead decided to purchase the rival Sauber team outright.
The BMW Sauber project, which ran from 2006 to 2009, significantly raised the Swiss former privateer team’s competitiveness. A strong third place performance in the Constructors’ Championship in 2007 followed two podium places in the inaugural season (which became second when McLaren was disqualified). Robert Kubica won the team’s lone race in 2008, the Canadian Grand Prix, and briefly held the lead in the Drivers’ Championship, but the team decided to concentrate on 2009 car development and fell back in the standings at the end of the season. Due to the F1.09 chassis’ lack of competitiveness, the 2009 season was a significant letdown. BMW decided to leave the sport, returning the team to its founder, Peter Sauber, in addition to the global financial downturn and the company’s displeasure with the constraints of the current technical standards in developing technology relevant to road cars.
Audi: F1 participation?
Porsche and Audi will both compete in Formula 1, according to Herbert Diess, CEO of parent company Volkswagen Group.
Diess announced that the group’s Porsche and Audi brands will both participate in the sport during an online “Dialogue with Diess” question-and-answer session. He said, “You just run out of reasons [not to join F1].
The decision to enter F1 divided the Volkswagen Group board of directors, according to Diess, who also disclosed that the board ultimately decided to approve the move since it will generate more money than it will cost.