Red Bull has formed a powertrain company after agreeing to take over the intellectual property of Honda’s power unit once the Japanese auto-maker exits Formula one at the end of this year.
This move has been announced just days after the F1 Commission voted in favour of a freeze on engine development from 2022.
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Dr Helmut Marko, a senior Red Bull advisor, said last month that the team and Honda had reached a deal and were just waiting on an engine freeze to be agreed, as they needed development to be halted to prevent them from quickly falling behind rival power unit suppliers.
“The Red Bull-Honda agreement covers the duration of the development freeze, enabling the use of Honda power unit technology in both Red Bull Racing and, sister team, Scuderia AlphaTauri’s cars until the next generation engines are introduced in 2025,” Red Bull Racing said in a statement on Monday.
It added that the new company, Red Bull Powertrains Limited, will be housed in the team’s existing facilities in Milton Keynes.
Commenting on the move, Dr Marko said: “We have been discussing this topic with Honda for some time and following the FIA’s decision to freeze power unit development from 2022, we could at last reach an agreement regarding the continued use of Honda’s hybrid power units.
“We are grateful for Honda’s collaboration in this regard and for helping to ensure that both Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri continue to have competitive power units.
“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.
“We are aware of the huge commitment required but we believe the creation of this new company is the most competitive option for both teams,” he added.
Meanwhile, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner described the deal as a “significant step for Red Bull in its Formula One journey” and said they will be pushing hard in their final season with Honda power.
“We were understandably disappointed when Honda made the decision to leave the sport as an engine manufacturer, as our relationship yielded immediate success, but we are grateful for their support in facilitating this new agreement,” Horner said.
“Honda has invested significantly in hybrid technology to ensure the supply of competitive power units to both teams.
“We now begin the work of bringing the power unit division in-house and integrating the new facilities and personnel into our Technology Campus.
“In the meantime, we are fully focused on achieving the best possible results in what will be Honda’s final season as an official power unit supplier,” he concluded.
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