Red Bull invested close to a billion dollars in their new powertrains division, which they thought would be the future of their team. However, team principal Christian Horner, now, regrets getting that deal signed, especially since their long-time manufacturer, Honda, decided to cancel their planned F1 exit.
Honda’s first big win with Red Bull came in 2021 when Max Verstappen dethroned Lewis Hamilton to become a world champion. That very year, they announced their intention to leave the sport and only left behind a skeleton crew to help Red Bull transition into their own powertrains department. Interestingly, that very year, the Milton-Keynes-based outfit started dominating the sport, with Verstappen and his team winning both championships with multiple races to spare.
Now that Honda has seen how financially rewarding being in F1 will help them be, they have decided to scrap their plans of leaving altogether. However, instead of continuing their work with Red Bull, they decided to sign a deal with Aston Martin, that will see them become the British team’s engine supplier once the new regulations kick in 2026. Red Bull meanwhile, will transition out of their ‘Red Bull Powertrains’ department, as they will start using Ford’s engines.
Red Bull’s first choice would have been Honda, admits Christian Horner
Honda is still working with Red Bull and will continue to help them with their power units until 2025. According to Business F1, Honda realized its mistake about leaving F1 in 2022 and started planning for a future in the sport immediately. Unfortunately, by then, it was too late for Red Bull and Honda to come to terms with a new deal.
🗣 “The establishment of Red Bull Powertrains Limited is a bold move by Red Bull but it is one we have made after careful and detailed consideration.” Dr Marko on today’s announcement 👉 https://t.co/2ff5xAE3Gl pic.twitter.com/k3U93YWjhT
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) February 15, 2021
Horner and Co. ended up signing a deal with Ford, which has them excited, but also wary since the American manufacturers will make a return to the sport after a long absence. During a press conference earlier this year, Horner admitted that if Red Bull knew about Honda planning a future post-2025, they would not have started their own engine division.
As per Business F1, Red Bull’s parent company Red Bull GmbH, poured in approximately $1,000,000,000 into this division, which they thought would be their future. Unfortunately, that plan doesn’t look as appealing anymore, especially with Ford coming in now.
Ford’s reunion with F1 through Red Bull
The Ford name will return to F1 after almost two decades. Their return was announced to the public ahead of the start of the 2023 season. Ford will be a strategic partner to Red Bull, and will supply engines to them and their sister team AlphaTauri from 2026 to 2030.
BREAKING: Ford to partner with Red Bull for the 2026 season and beyond #F1 @FordPerformance pic.twitter.com/Fjsbpcm2RY
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 3, 2023
Honda’s future meanwhile, lies with Aston Martin, a team that has shown huge progress this season. Lawrence Stroll, who is the team’s owner, has a vision of making his team the best in the world by winning championships.
By signing Honda, who have provided Red Bull with a strong power unit, they are sending a clear signal that they want to dethrone the top teams.
