Red Bull bids farewell to Honda
When Red Bull controversially decided to leave Renault engines and switch to Honda power units, the Milton Keynes team faced significant criticism. Relations with the French manufacturer were at a breaking point, with Red Bull management blaming Renault for being the true limit of the car. Meanwhile, Honda was emerging from a disastrous reunion with McLaren. Yet, the Japanese manufacturer managed to rise again with Red Bull, creating a new era of success that began with the enormous effort invested in the 2021 power unit.
After seven years together, Red Bull and Honda will go their separate ways. Honda will “follow” Adrian Newey to Aston Martin, while Red Bull will develop its first in-house F1 power unit with support from Ford. Following their final adventure—Max Verstappen’s near comeback against Lando Norris—the Milton Keynes team expressed their gratitude to Honda in their own way.
The video tribute
Red Bull shared a special video on their social media channels to thank Honda. Over the course of the partnership, Red Bull and Honda secured four Drivers’ Championships and two Constructors’ titles, accumulating 71 race wins. The first victory came at home in Austria in 2019, when Verstappen pointed to the Honda logo, giving the Japanese manufacturer renewed pride, prestige, and motivation, while establishing himself as their standout star.
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