In an unbelievable turn of events, Honda are now to remain a key component in Red Bull’s Formula 1 operation, and they will continue to manufacture the team’s engines until the end of 2025.
Red Bull were set to construct their own powertrains under a crucial engine freeze that would compensate for the team’s lack of experience in designing and making engines, coupled with the fact that technical regulations dictate an all-new engine specification this year.
However, having powered Max Verstappen to his maiden world championship in 2021, the Japanese car company will now be continuing its manufacturing relationship with both Red Bull and their junior AlphaTauri team.
READ: Partnering Verstappen is a ‘graveyard sentence,’ warns former Top Gear ‘Stig
Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko, who recently rubbished rumours that Cyril Abiteboul would be joining to head up the team’s powertrain division, revealed the change of plan in an interview.
“We have now also found a completely different solution to the one originally envisaged,” Marko told Autorevue magazine.
This now means that Red Bull powertrains will technically and officially be a new entrant as a manufacturer in 2026, unless they opt for the reported powertrain co-produced by Audi and Porsche in four years’ time.
“The engines will be manufactured in Japan until 2025, we will not touch them at all. That means that the rights and all these things will remain with the Japanese, which is important for 2026 because it makes us newcomers.”
The 78-year-old indicated that Verstappen’s success may have drawn Honda back in.
“In the course of our ever greater successes, a certain rethinking has taken place among the Japanese. And also that they could of course use the battery knowledge for their electrification phase.
“It was initially planned that they would only make our motors for 2022. Now it has been decided that this will continue until 2025, which is of course a huge advantage for us. This means we only have to make fine adjustments and calibrations.”
The Austrian maintains that the engine freeze was a climacteric factor to their decision to make their own engines and gearboxes to begin with.
However, they will still launch the powertrains division that was initially intended to be introduced before the start of the season.
“The prerequisite for this agreement was that engine development was frozen. Because the first phase would have been that we do everything ourselves. That’s why we started in Milton Keynes and dutifully bought in from [dyno supplier] AVL,” he explained.
“The plant will go into full operation in May/June. The final decision to do it ourselves was conditional on everything being frozen. Because otherwise we wouldn’t have had a chance with this complex thing.”
Red Bull will once again line up with Verstappen and Sergio Perez this year, and the Milton Keynes-based squad are yet to reveal a release date for their new car.
Further, it is unclear as to whether or not Honda branding will appear on the car in 2022.
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