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.”
In This Article...
Why is Honda leaving Formula One?
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.
Is Honda returning to Formula One in 2022?
In 2022, Honda will serve as the Japanese Grand Prix’s primary sponsor. In a news statement, the Suzuka Circuit made this announcement. The Formula 1 Honda Japanese Grand Prix is the name of the race, which is slated for the weekend of October 7–9.
For the first time since 2019, Formula 1 will visit Japan once more. In fact, the coronavirus caused the Grand Prix to be postponed in 2020 and 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.
Which F1 team is quitting?
Updated at 09:45 on March 17, 2022. Sebastian Vettel will be replaced by Nico Hulkenberg in Formula 1 for the first time in two years after the four-time World Champion tested positive for Covid-19.
For the first time since 2020, when he replaced Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll when the two Racing Point drivers tested positive, Hulkenberg will compete for Aston Martin and in Formula 1.
After Daniel Ricciardo missed the entire preseason test due to a positive test last week, Vettel is now the seventh F1 driver to test positive for Covid-19.
Since the departure of Haas, there have been no new teams added to the grid, and no teams have left since Caterham and Marussia. Panthera Team Asia had first stated that it would join the F1 grid in 2021, but it was postponed to 2022. As there is essentially no information on them at this time (apart from a brief mention on Wikipedia), we’re relieved to report that they won’t be joining.
In 2022, Red Bull will convert from Honda power to… Honda power with a different moniker. That will be the only significant change anticipated. After 2021, the Japanese auto giant will exit Formula One (again), and Red Bull will take engine production in-house after agreeing to take on the program and hiring a new division (mostly from Mercedes). Additionally, Alfa Romeo and Sauber renewed their headline sponsorship agreement, guaranteeing Sauber’s place on the F1 grid in 2022. Although technically neither Sauber nor Aston Martin have confirmed an engine for the upcoming season, it would be incredible if Ferrari or Mercedes switched out.
Honda continues to work with Red Bull?
The first Formula 1 engine with the Red Bull logo will take to the circuit for the first time next month. But only in name, the engine is a Red Bull.
Honda will continue to manufacture, assemble, maintain, and provide support for the engine it created in 2022, and it is likely that it will do so for a few years beyond that as well.
This season, Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri will formally use “Red Bull Powertrains” engines as a result of Honda’s official withdrawal from Formula One.
It implies that the short-term ambitions of world champion Max Verstappen and his team rest on a continuation project, which has historically disappointed in Formula One.
But the “not a Honda” engine is special. And that’s already an improvement over the alternatives Red Bull faced; if a few crucial choices had been made differently, it’s feasible that Red Bull would have had to find a new engine supplier altogether or been forced to use a variation of Honda’s 2020 design.
Leaving Red Bull, is Honda?
The continued involvement of Honda at Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri despite the manufacturer’s official exit from the sport will be one of the most intriguing parts of the 2022 F1 season.
Has Red Bull acquired Honda?
Then Honda’s facility in Milton Keynes and its intellectual property for its power unit designs were agreed to be purchased by Red Bull. It lies very next to Red Bull’s own base in the same location and had been utilized exclusively for the F1 project.
Porsche: F1 participation?
According to reports, starting in 2026, Formula 1 teams will receive engines from both Audi and Porsche. Although much is reportedly prepared behind the scenes for the acceptance of the two Volkswagen Group brands, no official statement has yet been made. The main reason for this is that the FIA must first accept the new engine regulations.
Porsche will join Red Bull Racing, according to Blick. The German tabloid speculates that the deal may have already been announced during the Austrian team’s home race in July.
In 2023, who will provide Red Bull engines?
Helmut Marko, the head of Red Bull Motorsport, has disclosed that Honda would continue to directly supply engines to the F1 teams of the energy drink corporation through the end of 2025.
The revised strategy significantly lessens the strain on Red Bull Powertrains, which was anticipated to fully assume control of Honda’s engine program starting in 2023.
Honda and Red Bull Racing came to an agreement wherein Honda would continue to develop and assemble its annual allotment of power units at its Sakura R&D plant in Japan after it officially left Formula One as a works supplier to Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri.
Additionally, it was decided that Honda would support Red Bull technically on race weekends while transferring the majority of its UK staff to Red Bull Powertrains in Milton Keynes.
Although it was initially anticipated that Red Bull would take over Honda’s power unit program starting in 2019 – along with all of its intellectual property – for a three-year period leading up to the start of F1’s new engine regulation cycle in 2026, the Japanese manufacturer has since modified its original strategy.
Marko claims that Honda has extended this year’s protocol of collaboration and its direct supply agreement with Red Bull until the end of 2025.
Marko told Austria’s Autorevue magazine, “We have now now developed an entirely different answer than the one originally envisioned.”
“Up until 2025, the engines will be produced in Japan; we won’t touch them at all. As a result, the Japanese will continue to own the rights to everything, which is significant for 2026 since it makes us newcomers.”
Red Bull Powertrains will benefit from the concessions granted by the FIA to those new manufacturers that would join the grid starting in 2026, such as a higher budget cap threshold, as a result of Honda’s change of plan. Red Bull Powertrains is positioned as a new engine supplier on par with potential entrants Porsche or Audi.
Will Haas leave the F1?
The Haas Formula One team has ended its agreement with Uralkali, the title sponsor, and Russian driver Nikita Mazepin.
No Russians have signed up to drive in F1 for the upcoming season as a result of the decision, which was made in response to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The team released a statement saying, “Haas F1 Team has opted to terminate, with immediate effect, the title partnership of Uralkali, and the driver contract of Nikita Mazepin.” The team expresses astonishment and sadness over the invasion of Ukraine and hopes for a quick, peaceful resolution to the conflict, along with the rest of the Formula One community.
Will Mercedes leave the F1?
Ola Kallenius has refuted any claims that Mercedes is thinking about quitting Formula One soon. The Silver Arrows recently experienced one of the most successful team eras in Formula One history, winning eight straight constructors’ championships. They have resulted in a world champion on seven of those times.
What F1 teams will utilize Honda engines in 2022?
Honda engines will be used by the Red Bull F1 team and AlphaTauri in 2022. Honda and Red Bull first collaborated in 2018 when Honda began supplying engines to Red Bull’s sister team, Torro Rosso (now AlphaTauri).
Then, in 2019, Red Bull Racing teamed together with Honda. When they helped Max Verstappen win his first World Championship in 2021, they experienced their first genuine success with the Japanese manufacturer.
Honda will continue to provide engines to Red Bull after 2022. Honda will own the intellectual property rights and the engines and all other associated parts will be produced in Japan. Red Bull won’t be in charge of anything pertaining to the engines’ manufacturing; instead, it will just adjust and calibrate the engines.
The engines will continue to be produced by Honda through the 2025 season. Red Bull will be in charge of producing their own engines beginning in 2026 when a new engine is introduced to the sport.
This happened after Honda abruptly changed its mind about leaving Formula One at the end of the 2021 season. Make sure to keep reading since the next part will go into more detail about this.