Christian Horner has called the relationship between Red Bull Racing and engine suppliers Honda ‘phenomenal’ after the conclusion of their official partnership at the end of 2021.
Honda returned to Formula 1 as an engine supplier with the McLaren F1 Team in 2015 and spent three unsuccessful years with the Woking-based team before they switched over to Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2018. Red Bull then also agreed to run with Honda power, starting from 2019 after falling out with Renault.
Since their partnership began, Red Bull and Honda have combined to win sixteen races and take thirteen pole positions, as well as taking Max Verstappen to his maiden World Drivers’ Championship in 2021.
Red Bull will take over the running of the Honda power units going forward, but the two parties will continue to work together on other projects.
And when asked if the relationship between Red Bull and Honda was the best they’ve had in Formula 1, Team Principal Horner was adamant it was.
“Absolutely! The passion, the commitment, just their work ethic…” Horner is quoted as saying by GPFans.
“When they came back into the sport they had a hard time but they kept their heads down, they worked hard at it and from day one of this relationship it’s been phenomenal. You can see that through their culture, this work ethic they have.
“The engine for this year was brought forward 12 months and were it not for the incident at Silverstone, Max (Verstappen) would have done the entire season on three engines.”
Horner says he is ‘tremendously proud’ of the achievements Red Bull have had with Honda, but they will now be looking to the future as Red Bull Powertrains take over the running and development of their engines.
“The first Drivers’ World Championship in 30 years since Ayrton Senna in 1991 is an enormous moment for them,” Horner said.
“We are tremendously proud of what we’ve achieved with Honda, for what they have provided and given us, and we now look forward to a future without Honda officially but maintaining a relationship with them over the next few years.”