Red Bull chief Christian Horner says the team would "absolutely not" have set up their own engine division if they had known Honda were going to return to Formula 1.
The Japanese manufacturer announced earlier this week that it will make a full-time return to the sport to supply Aston Martin, Red Bull's nearest challengers at the top of this season's constructors' standings, with engines when new regulations are introduced in 2026.
Honda announced in October 2020 that it would withdraw from F1, and being Red Bull's official engine partner at the end of the 2021 season, but then agreed to continue to supply engines as a paid contractor from 2022 to 2025.
As a result of Honda's decision to exit F1, Red Bull Powertrains was set up to enable the team to build its own engines for 2026, while a partnership to work alongside Ford on the project was announced in February.
"Would we have made a same decision knowing what Honda's decision is today? Absolutely not," Horner said after first practice at the Monaco Grand Prix on Friday.
"But we've made it, and we're committed to it, the more we've got involved the more benefit we see to the group long term."
Despite his admission, Horner says that he now feels "grateful" towards Honda for pushing Red Bull to create its own engine division.
Red Bull ended Mercedes' streak of eight successive constructors' titles last season, and are on course to retain their title having taken dominant victories in each of the first five races of the 2023 campaign.
Christian Horner says Red Bull would not have set up engine division if team knew Honda would remain in Formula 1 | F1 News (skysports.com)
The Japanese manufacturer announced earlier this week that it will make a full-time return to the sport to supply Aston Martin, Red Bull's nearest challengers at the top of this season's constructors' standings, with engines when new regulations are introduced in 2026.
Honda announced in October 2020 that it would withdraw from F1, and being Red Bull's official engine partner at the end of the 2021 season, but then agreed to continue to supply engines as a paid contractor from 2022 to 2025.
As a result of Honda's decision to exit F1, Red Bull Powertrains was set up to enable the team to build its own engines for 2026, while a partnership to work alongside Ford on the project was announced in February.
"Would we have made a same decision knowing what Honda's decision is today? Absolutely not," Horner said after first practice at the Monaco Grand Prix on Friday.
"But we've made it, and we're committed to it, the more we've got involved the more benefit we see to the group long term."
Despite his admission, Horner says that he now feels "grateful" towards Honda for pushing Red Bull to create its own engine division.
Red Bull ended Mercedes' streak of eight successive constructors' titles last season, and are on course to retain their title having taken dominant victories in each of the first five races of the 2023 campaign.
Christian Horner says Red Bull would not have set up engine division if team knew Honda would remain in Formula 1 | F1 News (skysports.com)
. For once Horner being "polite" and not a dick toward other like he usually do.
