Red Bull and Honda to pursue collaboration beyond F1

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Red Bull and Honda will end their formal partnership in F1 at the end of the 2021 season, but the two parties have announced that they will continue to collaborate in the wider world of motorsport.

From the start of next year, Red Bull Powertrains will take over its current engine supplier's F1 program, with Honda granting Red Bull the right to use the IP related to its power unit while also supporting RBPT "through the assembly of power units, the provision of trackside engineering support and race operation assistance in 2022".

However, from 2023 RBPT will take over all manufacturing and servicing of Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri’s engines.

Furthermore, to ensure team continuity, current employees of Honda Racing Development UK will transfer to Red Bull Powertrains in Milton Keynes

But Red Bull and Honda will continue to collaborate in the future beyond Formula 1 under a diversification agreement that will include young driver development, marketing and branding initiatives, as well as competitive activity across a range of motorsport disciplines.

Read also: Red Bull's special Honda livery: the full reveal!

"Red Bull’s collaboration with Honda has been enormously successful and while our relationship in Formula 1 is changing, neither of us wish for that to be the end of the story," said Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner.

"We are very pleased that our ambitious and exciting Red Bull Powertrains project will be strongly supported by Honda, technically and operationally, in 2022 and this will help ensure that Red Bull’s transition to the status of chassis and power unit manufacturer is seamless.

"Equally as exciting is the news that our collaboration with Honda will extend to a variety of motorsport activities, from driver development to other racing disciplines and even across the wider sporting world.

"This stretch of Honda’s Formula 1 voyage is coming to an end but together we are embarking on a new and fascinating journey."

Koji Watanabe, Chief Officer for Brand and Communication Operations, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. said: "I’m glad that we have reached an agreement with Red Bull Group covering all the details of the IP rights for the F1 Power Unit and in this way, Honda can still contribute to the motor racing world.

"We are now working hard to strengthen HRC’s structure, so that it can ensure our fans will be able to continue to enjoy Honda’s role in all types of motorsport."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.