While Honda officially disappeared from Formula 1 in 2022, the Japanese engine manufacturer will regain a (albeit minor) presence in Formula 1 by co-powering officially two F1 teams in the list of competitors for 2023.
Red Bull and AlphaTauri, powered by Red Bull Power Train (RBPT) last year, are now seen powered by the entity “Honda-RBPT” on the entry list unveiled by F1.
This does not mean, however, that Honda will necessarily become more involved in engine development. In fact, Red Bull has decided to develop its own engines since Honda’s departure in late 2021, taking over all the designs and engines left by Honda. Renaming the entity RBPT, Christian Horner has planned big projects for the Red Bull Group’s engine manufacturers, including a brand new factory in Milton Keynes.
However, the list of competitors for 2023 has just been unveiled by F1 and the name Honda is indeed present four times to power both Red Bull drivers and both AlphaTauri drivers.
Neither Honda nor Red Bull have made any communication on the subject. Horner, the director of Red Bull, recently explained that they will be the only team, along with Ferrari, to have the engine and chassis construction all under the same roof.
A few days ago, we also learned that the Japanese engine manufacturer had registered with the FIA as a candidate engine supplier for 2026, with the company considering a comeback due to the new engine regulations being deemed interesting.
In 2022, the name Honda still appeared on the Red Bull and AlphaTauri with the HRC (Honda Racing) logo.
