Honda has left Formula 1. For how long?

In short, the whole story can be divided into two parts: when Honda had its own team and when Honda was an engine supplier.

Like a team

Honda entered Formula 1 with their own team two and a half times. This means that they had a full-fledged team twice and one more time, they were in the middle of the season.

The Japanese team celebrated its first arrival in 1964. Now, it is trendy to discuss whether there was a Formula 1 World Championship in 1964, and there are many arguments on both sides. In any case, the official series has decided to count its history from 1950.

For five years (from 1964 to 1968), Honda participated in the world championship, but things didn’t go well. Over the years, they were only able to achieve two victories, several podium finishes, one pole position, and accumulated only 48 points throughout this period.

The next appearance of the Japanese brand was supposed to take place in 2000, and for this project, a racing department was created. The first prototype was built, and none other than Jos Verstappen was involved in the tests. Troubles came from unexpected sources. The designer Harvey Postlethwaite, whom Honda had acquired from British American Racing, passed away from a heart attack during preseason testing. Honda decided not to continue with the project and instead signed a technical cooperation agreement with the BAR team.

The third (and actually the second) time was much more prepared and planned: Honda had spent many years in F1 as an engine supplier and had a lot of experience to implement. And in their very first season in 2006, after buying BAR, they managed to achieve victory.

Furthermore, the Super Aguri subsidiary was doing rather well. However, things went from bad to worse. The absence of significant results in 2007 and 2008 led to the withdrawal of the brand from the championship. Of course, damage to the reputation could also be considered as a reason, but the financial crisis played a primary role.

Jenson Button

As an engine supplier.

The story dates back many years. Apart from the time when they were producing engines for their own team, the period from 1986 to 1991 was the most fruitful for the Japanese company. During their collaboration with Williams, Lotus, McLaren, and Tyrrell, they managed to achieve podium finishes and victories both individually and in the Constructors’ Championship. To this day, they have won 89 race victories and 206 podium finishes. But other periods also added to their tally. Well, working with McLaren from 2015 to 2017, although it added experience, actually became a real nightmare for all parties involved.

In 2013, Honda announced its return to Formula 1, this time by signing a contract with McLaren for engine supply. However, three years passed in a real nightmare for all parties involved, which they continue to untangle. Ross Brown still remembers how terrible the interaction between the two brands had become in the end and is glad that they managed to break free from this vicious circle at some point.

Even more incredible is that at that time, a new contract was signed between the Japanese and Red Bull. But the forward-thinking Austrians first sent Toro Rosso for a trial, and then, satisfied with the results, they themselves switched to the Japanese engines – they had too many issues with Renault and its boss, Cyril Abiteboul.

Interesting fact: Red Bull made the right decision. Furthermore, their cooperation terms with the Japanese company were like a fairy tale: during at least their first year of the contract, they not only received free engines but also a monetary reward, which according to certain sources was around 100 million dollars.

translates to “Max Verstappen” in English.

The collaboration between Red Bull and Honda suddenly proved quite effective – at least compared to how things developed with McLaren. The senior team of Red Bull Racing, in a fierce battle against a formidable “silver arrows” armada, clinched victory in this year’s individual championship. And even Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri) managed to bring Japanese engines a win and several podium finishes in four seasons. It seems like everything is just getting started.

And against all expectations: the Tokyo brand is leaving!

What was the reason?

Several versions of the starting motifs have been expressed, and the most beautiful among them has been associated with the Japanese company’s desire to develop environmental technologies.

It is now trendy and prestigious to fight for zero emissions and talk about priorities in the development of future transportation. It is also understood that this is, in many respects, purely political and marketing history, a sort of modern trend against which it is completely pointless to oppose for the moment.

In a statement, Honda declared that it intends to channel company funds towards future technologies that will contribute to preserving the environment and creating sustainable transportation.

Most likely, this is the case, as it is this direction that promises to bring the highest dividends in the future, which, among other things, interests both the shareholders and the members of the board of directors of the company.

Indeed, in one of his interviews, the head of Honda’s motorsport division, Masashi Yamamoto, stated that he had to face real battles with members of the board of directors to continue participating in Formula 1. This is mainly due to the huge expenses that did not bring the expected profits.

Unfortunately, he was not able to win the last battle. At the same time, according to Masashi Yamamoto, the pandemic did not have much effect on this decision.

A revealing addition to this story is Honda’s extended contract with Indycar until 2030 for engine supply. They currently use a 3.5-liter V8 gasoline engine with an output of approximately 650 hp. It’s interesting that Indycar, following Formula 1, is transitioning to hybrid engines. This transition was initially planned for 2022 but has been postponed to another season due to the pandemic. It will be a V6 engine with 2.4 liters, two turbos, and a hybrid component with a total power exceeding 900 hp.

Will Honda’s departure impact Formula 1 as a whole?

There have been numerous cases in history where engine manufacturers have withdrawn from the championship, such as Honda itself, and no catastrophe has occurred. The adjustment of forces in Formula 1 is a completely natural process that has been repeated throughout the years of the sport’s existence.

Yes, Honda’s departure can affect the fate and career of certain individuals, but it is unlikely to lead to more serious consequences. This is now another major event that occurred during the last season.