Just when Honda seem to have developed their best engine ever, they are about to leave Formula 1. Red Bull Racing will take over the project, and will produce their own engine from 2022 onwards. Christian Horner talks about the ties with Honda in this final year.
In the Talking Bull podcast, Horner explains how important the relationship between Red Bull and Honda is, even now. "That one is very important. They've done a great job and pushed the boundaries with this engine," Horner said. "It's a shame they're leaving at the end of the year, but we're going to try to finish with a highlight."
Great challenge for Red Bull
Meanwhile, the car for 2022 is being worked hard on, and so forces must be divided between the RB16B and the RB18. "There are big regulatory changes coming, so you can't ignore that," said Horner. "In addition to that, there are a lot of other things happening, such as Honda leaving the sport and the setting up of Red Bull Powertrains. There's a lot going on, both on and off the track."
At the same time, Horner indicated that developing its own powerplant will be a huge challenge, as Red Bull has never done it before. The relationship with Honda will be even more important in this respect, as some of the Honda staff will come to Red Bull Powertrains.