Honda will remain in Formula 1 until at least 2021 after signing an extension to their deal to supply engines to Red Bull and Toro Rosso.
The Japanese manufacturer first became involved with Red Bull’s F1 programme when they began supplying their junior team Toro Rosso in 2018, satisfying Red Bull to also take Honda power for the works team in 2019.
Honda had been refusing to commit to the series beyond 2020, but have now announced that they will continue to supply both teams until at least 2021.
The major overhaul of F1 from 2021 was the main factor in their delayed decision as they looked to weigh up the benefits and costs of continuing in the series – Honda returned to F1 in unspectacular fashion in 2015 with McLaren who would be plagued by poor reliability until their split after the 2017 campaign.
Speaking to Red Bull-owned ServusTV, the team’s motorsport advisor Dr Helmut Marko has described it as “a great relief for us”.
2019 has without doubt been Honda’s best season since returning to F1. Max Verstappen gave them their first win in 13 years when he took P1 at the Austrian Grand Prix, while he has added two more wins since.
Pierre Gasly also demonstrated Honda’s power gains when he beat Mercedes’ six-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton in a drag race to the line for P2 in Brazil.
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