The former Honda management decided not to renew the Red Bull contract that expires at the end of 2021, at a time when Red Bull and Honda are beginning to reap the fruits of their cooperation.

Rather than pulling out for financial reasons, Honda has said it is shifting its focus to developing alternative forms of energy with a view to becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

It’s the latest indictment of F1’s current powerplant regulations, which emphasize the innovative MGU-H system, which uses exhaust heat to generate energy and reduce turbo lag.

MGU-H has been instrumental in the unprecedented thermal efficiency of current F1 cars, but its detractors argue that it has little road relevance either, as it has proven to be a stumbling block for many OEMs entering the series.

But engine regulations in 2026 will do away with the complex system and place greater emphasis on the energy harvested by the MGU-K under braking, leading several manufacturers to take a fresh look at F1.

Audi has decided to join forces with Sauber, which currently operates under the Alfa Romeo name, while Red Bull has secured Ford as a backer for its Project 2026.

With Red Bull out, Honda Motorsport chose Aston Martin to return quickly as a full-fledged powerplant manufacturer, while it was still supplying Red Bull with its existing powerplants.

According to Honda, the new engine recipe has a greater proportion of electrification and is moving towards carbon neutrality, which makes F1 once again compatible with the Japanese giant’s mass electric vehicle plans.

“The biggest key factor in making this decision this time is the direction the new 2026 regulations are headed towards, towards carbon neutrality,” HRC President Koji Watanabe said.

Honda engineer

Photography: Zak Mauger / motorsport pictures

“That direction or that direction matches what our company is going into the future. That’s the decisive key factor.

“Currently, electricity is 20% or less compared to internal combustion engines, but the new regulations will require about 50% or more electrification, which will take a further step towards electrification.

Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe added: “Under the new regulations for 2026, the key to winning will be compact, lightweight, high-power electric motors, high-performance batteries that can handle high power and fast power delivery, and energy management technology.

“We believe that the technologies and know-how gained from this new challenge have the potential to be directly applied to our future mass-produced electric vehicles, such as the electric flagship sports car, as well as electrification technologies in various fields, including eVTOL, which is currently being researched and developed. “

F1 will also switch to 100 percent renewable biofuels in 2026, which Watanabe says matches Honda’s strategy.

“The regulations in 2026 will require us to switch 100% to carbon-neutral fuels, which will require us to really think about how to integrate new fuels with internal combustion engines,” he explained.

“We also have to think about how to optimize efficiency for speed, and I think that direction is in line with Honda’s direction.”

Honda recently announced its goal to double its global sales of electric and hydrogen vehicles by 2024, and plans to produce more than 2 million electric vehicles per year by 2030.