“I’m glad that we have reached an agreement with Red Bull Group covering all the details of the IP rights for the F1 Power Unit and in this way, Honda can still contribute to the motor racing world,” Koji Watanabe, Chief Officer for Brand and Communication Operations at Honda said.
“We are now working hard to strengthen HRC’s structure, so that it can ensure our fans will be able to continue to enjoy Honda’s role in all types of motorsport.”
It remains to be seen whether Red Bull could provide power units to another team, though junior driver Alex Albon’s move to Williams could potentially open up an avenue for the team to work with Williams in the future despite the latter’s current tie-up with Mercedes technology.
The collaboration between Red Bull’s junior driver programme and Honda’s Formula Dream Project will also continue. The effort has already brought Yuki Tsunoda through the ranks to Formula 1 and despite Honda’s F1 withdrawal, both parties will continue their respective driver development schemes in tandem with the other.
As part of the continued partnership, Red Bull and Honda are also set to work in other areas of motor sport, with Honda’s aim of achieving carbon neutrality a key mandate as part of the effort.
“Red Bull’s collaboration with Honda has been enormously successful and while our relationship in Formula 1 is changing, neither of us wish for that to be the end of the story,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner added.
“We are very pleased that our ambitious and exciting Red Bull Powertrains project will be strongly supported by Honda, technically and operationally, in 2022 and this will help ensure that Red Bull’s transition to the status of chassis and power unit manufacturer is seamless.
“Equally as exciting is the news that our collaboration with Honda will extend to a variety of motorsport activities, from driver development to other racing disciplines and even across the wider sporting world. This stretch of Honda’s Formula 1 voyage is coming to an end but together we are embarking on a new and fascinating journey.”