Honda F1 will continue to post Honda and HRC logos on Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri in the 2023 season. Koji Watanabe, president of HRC, said that it is a “symbol of bond” with Red Bull, which provides technical support. Honda announced in 2020 that it will withdraw from F1 at the end of the following year. That coincided with an uptick in performance by Red Bull, who dominated last season, leading Max Verstappen to the drivers’ championship in 2021.
However, the Honda name has been removed from the F1 engine and its branding has been reduced to a modest HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) logo. But Honda has restored its HONDA logo to the side of the Red Bull car, four days before Max Verstappen wins his drivers’ title at the Suzuka circuit in 2022. The logo will continue in 2023, and the F1 power unit installed by Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri will be registered as “Honda RBPT H001” and the Honda name will be revived. “For the 2022 season, HRC will partner with Red Bull to supply power units to Red Bull Powertrains and provide support to two teams, Oracle Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri, with Oracle Red Bull Racing winning two titles. ,” commented President Yasuharu Watanabe. “We will continue to support both teams in 2023, and both teams’ machines will have the Honda and HRC logos, and Honda will be included in the power unit manufacturer’s name.” We are happy to have the Honda name on our team, and we will do our best to support both teams with the Honda brand, so please continue to support us this season.” Regarding the logo, President Koji Watanabe said, “From the 2022 F1 Japan GP, Honda will have the Honda logo on the side and the HRC logo on the nose, and it will be the same this year. HRC will provide technology to both teams. We are providing support, and as a symbol of that bond, the Honda logo is included.” Honda has registered as a F1 power unit supplier from 2026. President Koji Watanabe, when asked regarding engine development for the 2026 rules, said, “Regarding whether the power unit is being developed, Honda’s technology will live on under the F1 rules from 2026. I will continue,” commented. “From 2026 onwards, F1 will be making a major shift toward electrification. This is in line with Honda’s direction of achieving carbon neutrality. , to see how F1 will move in the future and how the race as a whole will develop.” “After registering as a power unit manufacturer, we have been contacted by multiple F1 teams. We would like to see what kind of moves we will make, but we have not reached the conclusion of returning to the race.” Red Bull has announced that it will partner with Ford from 2026. “We were informed in advance that Red Bull would team up with Ford from 2026,” said President Yasuharu Watanabe. “However, both companies will aim for the championship with a solid relationship of trust until 2025. I am not in a position to say anything regarding Red Bull partnering with Ford, but there are various cooperative relationships with Red Bull, so I want to do it as well as I have in the past.” Red Bull F1 team principal Christian Horner said the negotiations were too complicated to continue with Honda. Asked why negotiations with Red Bull failed, President Koji Watanabe commented, “I don’t think it failed.” “I have been communicating with Red Bull in various ways, and we are talking regarding various things. As a result, we have mutually decided that we will not work together following 2026. Until 2025, we will continue our relationship as before. It will continue.” “I have been in close contact with Red Bull on a regular basis, and we are having various discussions. ”
