Honda has announced that it will leave Formula One at the end of the 2021 season, ahead of the new technical regulations being adopted.
“Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced that it has decided to conclude its participation in the FIA 1 Formula 1 (F1) world championship as a power unit supplier at the end of the 2021 season,” it said in a statement on Friday morning.
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Continuing, it noted that its return to F1 wasn’t without difficult, particularly in the first couple of years.
“Initially, Honda experienced a number of difficulties; however, by demonstrating the collective strength of ‘All Honda,’ including the utilisation of its aircraft engine technologies, Honda has realised a high level of competitiveness.
“Moreover, as a result of the growth Honda achieved together with Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri under a strong partnership with both teams, Honda was able to attain its goal of earning victories with three wins last season and two wins so far in the 2020 season.
“In the meantime, as the automobile industry undergoes a once-in-one-hundred-years period of great transformation, Honda has decided to strive for the realisation of carbon neutrality by 2050.
“This goal will be pursued as part of Honda’s environmental initiatives which is one of the top priorities of Honda as a mobility manufacturer.
“Toward this end, Honda needs to funnel its corporate resources in research and development into the areas of future power unit and energy technologies, including fuel cell vehicle (FCV) and battery EV (BEV) technologies, which will be the core of carbon-free technologies.
“As a part of this move, in April of this year, Honda created a new centre called Innovative Research Excellence, Power Unit & Energy.
“Honda will allocate its energy management and fuel technologies as well as knowledge amassed through F1 activities to this area of power unit and energy technologies and take initiatives while focusing on the future realisation of carbon neutrality.
“Toward this end, Honda made the decision to conclude its participation in F1.”
Continuing, the company said motorsport is in Honda’s DNA and it will be looking to win as many Formula One grands prix as possible with Red Bull and Scuderia AlphaTauri before it exits the sport.
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