The ambitious Red Bull Powertrains project is on track, according to Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner, who anticipates the first Red Bull engine to be running on the dyno by the end of 2022.
After its engine provider Honda made the decision to quit the sport at the end of 2021, Red Bull chose to create their own company, Red Bull Powertrains. However, Red Bull won’t start using their own Red Bull Powertrains unit until 2026; instead, they’ll keep using Honda technology until 2025. And Horner claims that the business has hired incredible personnel for this incredibly intriguing initiative.
We are on track in terms of our own preparation, according to Horner. By the end of the year, the first Red Bull engine will run on the dyno when we relocate to our new site in May. They are moving forward quite well, and the project is very exciting.
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What engine will Red Bull be using in 2022?
Even if Honda isn’t present on the Red Bull RB18, the company’s former engine supplier is still assisting the new Red Bull powertrains section in getting ready for 2022.
The Japanese automaker Honda expressed their desire to leave Formula 1 on top when they announced that 2021 would be their final season.
They actually did it, with Max Verstappen winning ten races last year on his way to his first World championship.
The Honda engine that powers the Dutchman and his teammate Sergio Perez this season will still be present, just not in that form.
Since the Milton Keynes team has taken over running the Honda power units, the power unit will now be rebadged as Red Bull.
However, they are not forced to do it alone because Honda is still only marginally involved.
Do Red Bull’s engines still come from Honda?
Honda stopped participating in the sport as an official works team at the conclusion of the previous season, and Red Bull is now paying for its services, including the creation of this year’s power unit for the switch from E5 to E10 gasoline.
The initial plan, which was made public before the end of last year, was for the new Red Bull Powertrains subsidiary to begin acquiring entire Honda power units with full on-track engineering support only in 2022.
In 2023, 2024, and 2025, after RBP had gotten up to speed, it would produce the engines using Honda parts at its Milton Keynes factory while also working on its own project for the new F1 regulations that would take effect in 2026.
Helmut Marko, the head of Red Bull Motorsport, has disclosed that the original plan has changed, and that Honda will now continue to provide full engines from Japan to Red Bull and AlphaTauri through the end of 2025.
The choice allows RBP to concentrate more on its 2026 project and allays any worries regarding problems like quality control that would arise from relocating the construction of the power units to the UK.
To ensure that RBP will still be a new player when its own engine is released in 2026, the adjustment has been implemented in part.
Thus, it will gain from the concessions that are primarily being discussed to help persuade the VW Group to fully commit to F1, such as a larger budget cap for power units.
However, given the intention to ensure that RBP is a new player in 2026, it would make sense if the engines continued to carry the Honda badge until 2025. It is known that the specifics of the new agreements have not yet been finalized.
Marko told Autorevue magazine, “We have now also identified an entirely different answer than the one originally envisioned.”
“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.
2022: Which F1 teams utilize Honda engines?
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.
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.
What caused Red Bull to choose Honda?
After winning the Drivers’ World Championship with Max Verstappen, Honda will technically leave Formula 1 at the end of 2021, however its intellectual property will remain in the possession of the recently founded Red Bull Powertrains.
Honda agreed to give Red Bull their plans for 2022 and the start of the engine freeze because of how closely they work together.
The engines were supposed to continue being prepared by Honda for Red Bull in 2022 and 2023. After that season, Red Bull’s Powertrains division would take over the production and administration of the power units.
Despite the engines not bearing the Honda logo, Honda will still service and supply the engines from Japan.
How long will Red Bull continue using Honda motors?
Honda is slated to construct and service Red Bull’s engines at its Sakura factory until 2025, though this has not yet been formally confirmed. As a result, it is anticipated that Honda will continue to be a background player for a longer period of time.
Therefore, Honda will essentially work as a contractor next year rather than handing off complete duty to Red Bull Powertrains. According to the conditions of the collaboration the two businesses agreed to near the end of 2021, this will either be covered by Red Bull or offset by a win-win arrangement.
Having staff from Honda Racing Development UK’s Milton Keynes facility as part of the newly formed Red Bull Powertrains company allows it to concentrate completely on getting the first Red Bull F1 engine ready for the new regulations in 2026.
The engine that will be in the Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri vehicles for the foreseeable future is not a legitimate “Red Bull Powertrains” product due to the close relationship between the two companies and the intellectual property ownership of the engine. Similar to how everyone knew Red Bull’s ‘Tag Heuer’ engines from 2016 to 2018 weren’t actually built by the watchmaker, it’s merely a label on an entry list.
Up to the end of 2025, this will be a Honda in all except name. To Red Bull and Verstappen, that is the only thing that counts. It’s a minor side issue whether the team has the right to label it a Red Bull Powertrains engine.
This continuation project is unlike previous ones because it will continue to be umbilically connected to Honda.
If we are to learn anything from the past, Mugen and Mecachrome are two programs that, like the “Red Bull Powertrains” engines, were based on actual works projects.
In the 1990s, Mugen’s involvement in F1 began and ended as a Honda OEM program. Honda was initially concentrating on its V12 project, therefore Mugen prepared the Honda RA101E V10 engines that powered Tyrrell in 1991.
Then, in 1992–1993, Mugen provided an evolution of the engine with independent finance under the moniker Mugen–Hondato Footwork, even though certain Honda engineers were still participating.
Honda officially quit at the end of 1992, but Mugen carried on, switching to Lotus and then Ligier before famously defeating Olivier Panis to win the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix.
Honda steadily increased its engagement once more, and by the time it partnered with Jordan in 1998, the engines were essentially Honda works engines. Before Honda’s fully fledged works return with BAR in 2000, Mugen-Hondas were able to win three more grand prix races.
Is Honda leaving Formula One?
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. “But because it is clear that the firm made this decision, and I can understand it, we must ultimately accept it.
“However, we always have the ability to dream, therefore we hope Honda will return to F1 someday.”
Yamamoto acknowledged that he was sad to see Honda depart, but said that there was immense “The fact that Verstappen helped Honda win the drivers’ title signifies that the company eventually met its goals and won’t leave with unfinished business.
Why is Honda quitting 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.
Honda still competing in Formula One?
Honda and Red Bull started their engine cooperation in 2018 by supplying the junior team Toro Rosso. In 2019, they also started working with the flagship Red Bull team. However, Honda left the sport after the 2021 season, which saw Max Verstappen of Red Bull earn the title of World Champion.