Honda: 'In August we communicated our thoughts to Red Bull Racing'

Honda says it gave hints to Red Bull back in August that the engine supplier was planning to stop Formula 1 after the 2021 season. The Japanese manufacturer have thought long and hard about their future in the sport.

Honda announced in a press conference this morning that it will stop supplying engines to Formula 1 teams. This decision came as a shock to many: Red Bull team boss Christian Horner is very upset, he announced this morning. AlphaTauri team boss Franz Tost is also very sorry that the Japanese team are leaving the sport.

"Communicated as early as August"

Nevertheless, according to Honda, the news was more or less to be expected. "Since we extended by one year with Red Bull, we have been thinking a lot of things over," said Honda President Takahiro Hachigo at the press conference, quoted by MotorsportWeek.com . "In August we communicated our thoughts to Red Bull Racing and we determined to conclude participation at the end of September actually."

The Japanese engine supplier announced that they want to focus more on solutions for a better climate. In the meantime, as the automobile industry undergoes a once-in-one-hundred-years period of great transformation, Honda has decided to strive for the “realization of carbon neutrality by 2050.” This goal will be pursued as part of Honda’s environmental initiatives which is one of the top priorities of Honda as a mobility manufacturer."