{"id":21550,"date":"2023-02-08T20:40:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-08T20:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/formula1news.co.uk\/?p=21550"},"modified":"2023-02-08T17:24:29","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T17:24:29","slug":"red-bull-was-just-sick-of-that-reason-for-honda-divorce-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/formula1news.co.uk\/red-bull-was-just-sick-of-that-reason-for-honda-divorce-revealed\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Red Bull was just sick of that’: Reason for Honda divorce revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ex-Formula 1 driver Christijan Albers believes Red Bull’s new technical partnership with Ford is as a result of current partner Honda being “indecisive”, with the Japanese manufacturer having recently jumped in-and-out of the pinnacle of motorsport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following much speculation, it was announced at Red Bull’s launch of their 2023 car last Friday that they would be entering a technical partnership with American manufacturer Ford from 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many saw this as a punch in the face to Honda, given that the manufacturer are still Red Bull’s partner until the end of 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst Red Bull run under the ‘Red Bull Powertrains’ department, their engines are effectively based on Honda’s, in what is a confusing relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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READ: F1 team braced for \u2018criminal consequences\u2019 after revealing 2023 car<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite having left the sport at the end of 2021, Honda continued to work with Red Bull during 2022, before officially announcing a return to the sport at their home Grand Prix in Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well as that, Honda announced that they’d be entering the 2026 championship as an engine supplier, despite the fact that Red Bull are going to supply their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this in mind, Honda will need to find a new team to partner with from 2026 onwards, in order to remain in the sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRed Bull stole people from Mercedes to make that Honda engine better,\u201d Albers told De Telegraaf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRed Bull may be building an engine for the first time, but Honda are still involved. It\u2019s putting a sticker on it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given how successful Red Bull’s and Honda’s partnership has been over recent years, many can’t get their heads around why the duo are separating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Albers believes Red Bull became “tired” of negotiating with Honda, with the Japanese manufacturer, as mentioned, having left the sport momentarily before suddenly returning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think they just got tired of those negotiations. Honda was so indecisive,\u201d Albers said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHonda decided to pull the plug and yet now they\u2019re back again. I think Red Bull was just sick of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2023 is going to be a challenging year for Red Bull given that they’ve still got virtually nine months of their wind tunnel ban to serve, following their breach of the 2021 budget cap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red Bull were awarded a 10-percent reduction in wind tunnel time for 12 months, which is expected to cause some issues for the Austrians; however, Albers believes they’ll be just fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red Bull is a rich team,\u201d Albers added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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#F1<\/a> drivers expressing concern over Mohammed Ben Sulayem as he faces sacking https:\/\/t.co\/oGaFnDQ1Jx<\/a><\/p>— Formula1News.co.uk (@Formula1newsUK) February 8, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>