Red Bull were “absolutely willing” to design their Formula 1 cars around the requirements of partner Honda, boss Christian Horner has said.
After a fractious relationship with Renault ended in 2018, Honda units were bolted into the back of the RB15 in time for the ’19 season after the Japanese manufacturer had spent a year with AlphaTauri.
After the disaster of the McLaren years, Honda powered Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to the 2021 world title before an unexpected withdrawal at the end of that season.
However, they have signed up to the 2026 rules reset – although this is purely so they can be involved in shaping the regulations, and not a sign of an imminent return.
One reason the McLaren deal failed was the insistence of the team on a ‘size zero’ design, with the power unit being shoe-horned in – but Horner says Red Bull were willing to make those concessions.
Red Bull willing to help Honda
“Absolutely,” Horner replied when asked in an exclusive interview with RacingNews365.com about whether the team were willing to accept compromises.
“I think the team felt that after the years of difficulties we’d been through, we suddenly had a very willing partner that was prepared to do whatever they could to extract the most performance they could – and everything was focused on performance.
“We could see that commitment, that desire and the fact that it meant so much to every member of the Honda team.
“Honda is very much passion drive company within the racing department and you could see that through Sakura and their design and operational team.”
