Honda announced on October 2, 2020 that it would be leaving the F1 grid at the end of the 2021 season. The Japanese engine maker had returned to the sport in 2015 when the hybrid V6 regulations were a year old after retiring from the sport in 2008. Honda left Formula 1 in 2008, citing the effects of the Great Recession. After returning, the manufacturer suffered from its collaboration with McLaren in the championships for the first three seasons. Their partnership proved unsuccessful and in 2018 McLaren split.
Since then, Honda has been supplying units to Red Bull and its sister team AlphaTauri. The engine supplier has achieved 5 race victories since 2018. When Honda announced that they would be eliminated by the end of the current season, Red Bull found itself in an awkward position. It was implicit that Red Bull didn’t want to return to Renault. There were now 2 of the 4 available manufacturers left. That meant it had to convince either Mercedes or Ferrari. Did Red Bull choose either option or did it create the third option for itself? We’ll answer that later, but first let’s find out why Honda is leaving F1 at the end of this season.
Why is Honda leaving Formula 1?
Honda decided to leave Formula 1 due to a changing shift in its automotive focus. The company wants to develop alternative forms of energy and wants to achieve CO2 neutrality by 2050. By 2030, 2/3 of its sales should be electric and achieve these goals. The manufacturer must shift the focus of its resources from expensive sport to directing its actions towards future goals. Honda CEO and President, Takahiro Hachigo, called this a one-off period of great transformation.
The engine supplier has made the reason for its withdrawal clear. It wasn’t short-term gains or the negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Hachigo said it was difficult and difficult to achieve carbon neutrality, along with competition in international auto racing. The company also said it achieved its goal of gaining victories in the sport.
Honda CEO and President Takahiro Hachigo
It is not without reason that there are only 4 engine manufacturers in F1. Because the Formula 1 engines are complex and expensive to manufacture. It takes extensive research and expertise to develop a fully functional and competitive aggregate. Honda has spent more than $ 1 billion on engine development and is still third best of the competition. As a result, only a handful of companies make F1 engines. However, Honda’s decision appears to be made with environmental safety and security in mind.
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What did Red Bull do?
When Honda announced its departure, Red Bull, who did not want to return to Renault, had two other options. To convince Mercedes to deliver its engine to Red Bull or to ask Ferrari to do the same. Mercedes had already refused and would be at full capacity, as it would supply 4 teams from the 2022 season. Red Bull has created a third option for itself and AlphaTauri and has started talks with Honda to continue using their drive technology. Honda and Red Bull have reached an agreement in view of the engine development stop starting in 2022. Red Bull founded Red Bull Powertrains Limited to take full advantage of the powertrain technology they will adopt from Honda after the 2021 season. This new company will operate its new division from Red Bull Racing’s F1 team base in Milton Keynes.
Red Bull Racing F1 team base
Red Bull Motorsport advisor Helmut Marko said the founding of Red Bull Powertrains Limited was a bold move, but it was taken after careful consideration. He added that forming the new company would be the most competitive option for both Red Bull and AlphaTauri. The agreement between Red Bull and Honda covers the duration of the engine development freeze, which ends in 2025. Honda PU technology for both teams until the next generation of engines is introduced in 2025. Honda has allowed Red Bull and AlphaTauri to use their F1 PU technology, to be competitive. This not only benefits the sport, but also the fans.
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