Red Bull Racing says goodbye to Honda. Is it the end of Honda's Formula 1 operations?
Red Bull Racing ran a special white livery in appreciation of Honda. [Credits: X/ Red Bull Racing]
Red Bull Honda is a long-standing partnership in Formula 1 racing. The Japanese manufacturer has been providing powertrains to Red Bull Racing since the 2018 Formula 1 season. Honda officially left Formula 1 as a power unit manufacturer in 2021. They partnered with Red Bull in 2022 to help them develop the power units as a part of Red Bull Powertrains.
The Honda and Red Bull collaboration came to be known as Honda RBPT in Formula 1. Honda extended their partnership with Red Bull until the 2025 season. The 2025 Formula 1 season is the last time a Red Bull car will run on a Honda power unit.
Red Bull Racing gave a fitting farewell to Honda in 2025. They ran a special white and red livery to mark their partnership with Honda in special colors. Red Bull Racing ran the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix with this special livery.
Max Verstappen claimed victory at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix giving Honda a winning goodbye from Red Bull Racing. But the question that arises is- has Honda finally left Formula 1? Read ahead to know the details about this new era in Formula 1 for Honda.
Is Honda Leaving Formula 1?
Honda was not an official Formula 1 power unit manufacturer in 2025. The Honda Racing Corporation, which builds Formula 1 power units for Honda left Formula 1 racing in 2021. The moniker of Honda RBPT was adopted by Red Bull to honor its partnership with Honda Racing Corporation. Red Bull have created their own powertrain manufacturing unit to compete in Formula 1. Honda will assist them in the manufacture and production of these power units until 2025. Red Bull Racing used to rebadge these units competing as a powertrain manufacturer with their teams, Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri (later known as VCARB or Racing Bulls).
Thus, Honda was not an official Formula 1 manufacturer from the 2022 to 2025 F1 seasons. They had already left Formula 1 racing as a power unit manufacturer in 2021. The grand farewell that Red Bull Racing gave Honda was only to commemorate their partnership in Formula 1 racing and to celebrate their departure from the Red Bull Powertrains project.
Honda’s last official season in Formula 1, the 2021 F1 championship, was a special one for both Red Bull Racing and Honda Racing Corporation. Max Verstappen’s victory in the 2021 F1 championship gave Honda their first championship title as a power unit provider in thirty years. They also became the only power unit provider to beat Mercedes in the turbo-hybrid era of F1. Verstappen is the first Honda powered champion in Formula 1 after Ayrton Senna in 1991,
Did Honda Run a Formula 1 Team?
Yes, Honda was also a team owner in Formula 1 racing. Honda Racing Corporation collaborated with British American Racing in 2004 to provide engines for them. They too over the BAR team in 2005 and renamed it to Honda in 2006. However, Honda’s spell as a team in Formula 1 was extremely short lived. They only ran three seasons until 2008. Honda exit from Formula 1 in 2008 citing global financial crisis as their reason.
Honda also tried to race in Formula 1 as a team and engine provider in the early era of Formula 1. They joined as a team in 1964 with but left after the end of the 1986 season. Honda stated that their difficulty in selling road cars in the United States was the reason for their exit. Experts also suspect that the death of their driver, Jo Schlesser was an important factor in their decision to exit Formula 1.
Honda as a Formula 1 Team: Statistics
Races Entered– 88
Victories– 3
Podiums– 9
Poles– 2
Points– 154
Fastest Laps– 2
First entry in Formula 1 as a team– 1964 German Grand Prix
Last entry in Formula 1 as a team– 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix
Are Honda Returning to Formula 1?
Yes, Honda expressed their interests to return to Formula 1 as an official power unit manufacturer for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 regulations. Honda will partner Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 team to supplly power units for them. Aston Martin currently uses Mercedes power units. This new partnership will mark the fifth time Honda participated officially in Formula 1.
Honda’s reason to leave Formula 1 was to focus on fuels and engines with more carbon neutral technologies. The newer regulations of 2026 power unit seems to attaract Honda’s attention back towards Formula 1.
Which Power Unit Will Red Bull Use From Next Year?
Red Bull Racing and their sister team will still use Red Bull Powertrains power unit in their Formula 1 operations. After their collaboration with Honda ends in 2025, Red Bull will join hands with Ford. Ford and RBPT are going to work together for making the 2026 powertrains for Red Bull in Formula 1. The deal with Ford was finalised ahead of the 2023 season. Red Bull Powertrains were in talks with Porsche for making their new power units. However, the deal was scrapped midway and Red Bull powertrains chose to work with Ford.
Just like their earlier partnership with Honda, Ford Motor Company is going to help Red Bull powertrains in developing their engines. These power units will be rebadged as RBPT power units and used in Formula 1 from 2026.
What do you think about Honda’s new adventures in Formula 1? They will partner Aston Martin for 2026. Is Aston Martin going to compete at the front row with their new weapons- Adrian Newey and Honda in 2026? Follow The Playoffs to know more about Formula 1.
nhl
I work as a Writer at The Playoffs specialising in NHL, Formula 1 and Motorsports. I got into online journalism a couple of years ago. I used to be an intern for a website managing their Formula 1 content and then I served an entire year as a contractual writer.
Read more
For me, online journalism was not something I expected. I am a Mechanical Engineer aiming to join Formula 1. At the same time, I am a poet, writer and my university’s Literary Club Lead. One day the dots connected together and I realised I could use my writing skills to convey my passion for Motorsports.
The biggest aspects I love about my role are- Scuderia Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel. When I am not fawning over them I like to convey my opinions to the public, in a manner which helps them gain a new point of view. I love helping people explore new ideas about Motorsports and obviously get recognised as a writer all over the world.
Message to Readers: I promise you one day you’ll see me managing operations on track with a Formula 1 team ; )
