Red Bull’s Formula 1 teams will continue to use Honda’s engines after the Japanese company quits the sport at the end of this season.
Red Bull has concluded a deal to buy Honda’s F1 engine technology and will run the engines until 2024.
The drinks giant has set up a new company to maintain the engines at its technology base in Milton Keynes.
The move has been made possible by a decision by F1 bosses to freeze engine development from 2022-24.
The move is aimed at giving Red Bull flexibility and independence before the introduction of a new engine formula into F1 in 2025.
Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko said: “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.”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: “This agreement represents a significant step for Red Bull in its F1 journey.
“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.
“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.”
The 2021 season will be Honda’s last year in F1 and the company has designed a new engine it hopes will enable them and Red Bull to challenge for the title against Mercedes.
Red Bull preferred to take over the Honda engines for the senior team and Alpha Tauri rather than become a customer of either Renault or Ferrari.
The move gives them a number of options heading into the 2025 engine change.
One of the key objectives of governing body the FIA is to ensure the engine design is more affordable than the current highly advanced and efficient but extremely complex and expensive 1.6-litre turbo hybrids.
With its own engine facility, Red Bull could theoretically build up its resources to enable it to manufacturer its own engine at that stage if it can raise sufficient finances, while the prospect of partnering with a new manufacturer should one come in to the sport remains a possibility.
F1 bosses are currently in talks to finalise the new engine that will be introduced in 2025 with both existing and potential manufacturers.
Among those involved in the talks is Porsche, a member of the Volkswagen Audi Group that has long played with the idea of entering F1.
VAG was involved in talks over the current engine formula when it was being planned in the early part of the 2010s but in the end decided not to take the plunge into F1.
