Following in Sebastian Vettel's footsteps as a four-time world champion, he accumulated 63 wins by the end of 2024.
It's a success story that's reaching its conclusion, with Red Bull taking control of its own destiny with Red Bull Powertrains-Ford, while Honda partners with Aston Martin for the new power unit regulations in 2026.
October 2020: Honda announced its withdrawal.
Alex Albon, Red Bull Racing RB16
Photo by Charles Coates / Motorsport Images
Following the 2021 season, the company declared its full commitment to electrification, citing concerns about the economic repercussions of the global COVID-19 pandemic. "Honda needs to channel its corporate resources into research and development of future power units and energy technologies," a statement was made at that time, indicating that an expensive F1 program no longer aligned with its vision.
We weren't certain about the number of cylinders we would get. Going back to Renault, though we'd done it before, didn't feel right to us. It felt like it was almost forcing us to make a decision by saying, 'Let's make a decision'.
One unorthodox option was to purchase Honda's intellectual property and utilize the current power unit until the end of the current regulations, but this proved too intricate to coordinate for both parties. "Having investigated this, it became increasingly complicated, as that process involves more than just manufacturing engines; it also involves the supply chain and other factors," Horner stated.
We announced we were stopping our Formula 1 activities, but after talks with Red Bull, they asked us to continue, so we became a kind of technical support instead. In fact, we still handle everything related to the power unit.
Horner stated: "We are a client of Honda. We pay for engines through a separate division of Red Bull Powertrains. It has been a successful partnership, and they continue to supply us with excellent service that we pay for, to provide engines for the four cars."
November 2022: Honda makes a U-turn on F1 decision, but Red Bull has already moved on
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB18, Sergio Pérez, Red Bull Racing RB18
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Honda began to reconsider its initial decision when the 2026 regulations began to align with the direction it was heading, incorporating sustainable fuels and a greater emphasis on hybrid power. "From our perspective, the new 2026 F1 regulations, which balance combustion and electric components at 50%, are very appealing to both Honda and our racing team," Watanabe explained. "The move towards carbon-neutral fuel is also beneficial for us, which is why we've decided to officially rejoin Formula 1.
Honda's first discussions about 2026 were still with Red Bull, with advisor Helmut Marko visiting the manufacturer in Japan. "However, when we pulled out of Formula 1, Red Bull decided to set up its own engine development company - that is why there was essentially no room for cooperation."
By the time Honda changed its plans, Red Bull had already invested heavily in its own powertrain project, establishing a dedicated unit at its Milton Keynes campus. As Verstappen notes: "A few years ago, they said 'we're going to stop', so then Red Bull set up its own engine division. Unfortunately, once you're already in the process of building a whole engine yourself, you can't really work together anymore."
An intriguing aspect, though, is that Honda and Red Bull did consider another possibility for 2026. "During our standard conversations, we discussed the idea of Red Bull developing their own internal combustion engine while we would work on the electrical components," Watanabe stated. "However, that wouldn't have been straightforward at all if they only handled the ICE and we took care of the electrical components, so in the end we discovered that it was impractical to collaborate under those circumstances."
It would have been a risk to join a UK-made internal combustion engine with Japanese electrical components, considering the complexity of working across two different time zones. Another challenge was that neither side would have had full authority over the final product. For instance, if the combustion engine underperformed, it would indirectly affect Honda's reputation, whereas the Japanese engineers would have had no control over it.
May 2023: Honda secures partnership with Aston Martin as Red Bull receives support from Ford
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR-23, Sergio Pérez, Red Bull Racing RB-19
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
The final outcome was that the two brands would part ways in 2026. Honda ultimately agreed to collaborate with Lawrence Stroll's highly ambitious Aston Martin team, with Watanabe disclosing that multiple teams had expressed interest.
He remembered that the initial discussions were only between Honda and Red Bull. It wasn't until they officially registered with the FIA as a power unit supplier for 2026, which was in November 2022, that conversations began with other teams. Following that, other teams reached out to us, expressing interest in working with Honda. We then engaged in talks with those parties and made our decision.
Watanabe was asked how many teams had approached Honda, to which he replied: "I cannot provide the exact number, but several teams. With some of those, we've had contact only once, while with some others, we've met multiple times."
In the meantime, Red Bull Powertrains have formed a technical partnership with Ford. The contribution of the OEM is its expertise in "battery cell and electric motor technology as well as power unit control software and analytics." The engines are still being built and developed in Milton Keynes.
It's a huge undertaking, but Horner believes that Red Bull's first in-house engine program presents opportunities. "From a future safeguarding perspective, we didn't want to be in a situation where we were in Honda's position, where a change in leadership or a decision from the head office could result in F1 no longer being a priority – and we wouldn't have an engine."
We have much more control over our own future with this route. The investment we've made is for the long term, not a short-term commitment. In my opinion, we're the only team, aside from Ferrari, with everything fully integrated for 2026, with the same ownership on one site, and that's extremely valuable to us.
Horner noted: "I have no illusions that there won't be challenges in 2026. In other words, to hit the ground running with a competitive power unit against Mercedes, Ferrari and Honda – they are all massive manufacturers with decades of experience. We have three years of experience, but we have a huge amount of passion. We have some great people, we have the facilities, we have great partners, and we have the attitude that helped us achieve the 122 race wins we've had so far."
It would be extremely satisfying to contribute to that total with an engine that has been designed, built, and produced here in Milton Keynes.
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