Red Bull team principal Christian Horner laments Honda exit that will be "a loss for F1"

Max Verstappen during StyrianGP — Photo: © LAT Images

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Red Bull boss Horner laments Honda exit that will be "a loss for F1"

Honda withdraw from F1 at the end of the year

Ian Parkes

Tuesday 29 June 2021 18:20

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is already lamenting the loss of Honda from F1 at the end of the year following the Japanese manufacturer's resurgence.

Honda has played a key role in turning Red Bull into title contenders this season as it has helped propel the team to four consecutive victories and five in eight races.

The four in a row is the first time Honda has achieved the feat since 1991 when the late, great Ayrton Senna took the chequered flag in the opening quartet of races that year with McLaren.

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But Honda has less than six months of its partnership with Red Bull to run before it pulls out of F1, although the team will continue to run its engines.

With the alliance in the ascendancy now, Horner said: "It will be tremendously sad to see them leave at the end of the year.

"They have been a great partner for us to work with, they have been supportive as they have set up our Red Bull Powertrains.

"We have obviously utilised their technology moving forwards but it has been a great relationship and we will be sad to see them leave F1. I think it will be a loss for F1 at the end of the year."

Red Bull hails oil partner for additional performance

Horner has also praised the work of oil partner Exxon Mobil, a company that recently introduced a new product to assist Red Bull's push for greater performance.

Horner's comments were in response to Lewis Hamilton's remarks that Red Bull's recent engine upgrade was proving the straight line difference between the two teams.

Honda did introduce a new power unit at the French Grand Prix, but on reliability grounds only as per the regulations.

"We have a new oil from Exxon Mobil, so I think they should take full credit for all of Lewis' pointing at the engine," quipped Horner. "The engines are homologated so they are the same spec."

Suggesting Mercedes' performance with its power unit had also declined this year, Horner added: "It is unusual for Mercedes to have changed [its PU] so early in the year as they did.

"They seem to perhaps have higher degradation this year than in previous years but all we can do is focus on our own job."