Honda Bids Farewell to Red Bull After Eight-Year F1 Partnership

Honda has formally concluded its eight-year technical partnership with Red Bull following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, ending a collaboration that powered Max Verstappen’s 2021 and 2022 world championships. The Japanese manufacturer will shift its focus to Aston Martin under F1’s 2026 engine regulations, while Red Bull transitions to an in-house power unit developed jointly with Ford.

Why it matters:

This marks the end of one of Formula 1’s most transformative alliances of the hybrid era, which resurrected Honda’s F1 reputation after initial struggles and propelled Red Bull to sustained dominance. The split also represents a pivotal test for Red Bull’s ambition to become a fully integrated constructor—a capability critical for navigating F1’s 2026 regulations, which prioritize cost-effective, sustainable powertrain development.

The Details:

• Honda’s journey with Red Bull began in 2018 with Toro Rosso (now Visa Cash App RB), evolving into a full works partnership by 2019 that overcame early reliability issues to dominate the 2021–2023 seasons.
• Though Honda officially exited F1 at the end of 2021, it retained a technical advisory role during Red Bull’s 2022–2023 constructors’ title runs, maintaining influence over power unit development.
• In its farewell statement, HRC president Koji Watanabe emphasized pride in Honda’s eight-year contribution to “victories and championships,” while noting the partnership accelerated advancements in materials science and thermal efficiency.
• Watanabe specifically thanked Red Bull teams for their “trust and collaboration,” signaling a respectful exit despite Honda’s strategic pivot to Aston Martin’s underdog project.

What's next:

Red Bull’s 2026 power unit—developed at its newly expanded Milton Keynes facility with Ford’s branding and financial backing—will be the team’s first fully proprietary engine, ending decades of dependence on manufacturers like Renault and Honda. Meanwhile, Honda’s Aston Martin partnership faces immediate pressure to close the performance gap to Mercedes and Ferrari, leveraging lessons from its Red Bull era while adapting to F1’s simplified hybrid systems and strict cost caps. Both transitions will serve as critical benchmarks for how F1’s new regulations reshape team-manufacturer dynamics in the sport’s sustainability-focused future.