Is this goodbye?
After the news of Honda pulling out of F1 at the end of 2021, many have wondered where the future of RedBull and AlphaTauri lies…
Pic: formula1.com
One of the reasons Honda has decided to leave F1 is due to the company deciding to reduce their carbon footprint massively over the next few years. While Honda has stated it will stay in motorsports, it will not stay in F1 due to the sport not being the most environmentally conscious and friendly. Although F1 is committed to having a net zero carbon footprint by 2030, which is a long time to wait, it is sadly not enough to make Honda stay in the sport until then. The company is trying to build their reputation of being carbon neutral by 2050. Does this mission mean we may see Honda moving to the carbon neutral racing series Formula E???
Pic: autosport.com
RedBull partnered with Honda as their engine supplier to build a partnership that could be a title contender in the future, planning together that by 2022 they would be in serious title contenders once again. However, due to Honda leaving F1 at the end of 2021, this leaves all their future plans of being strong title contenders in the dust. RedBull will now be on the hunt for an engine supplier or have to take one from Mercedes, Ferrari or their previous engine supplier Renault. If RedBull fail to find a replacement suitable for their car then Renault have to supply RedBull with an engine as they currently supply the fewest engines on the grid, this could become a difficult option for RedBull and Renault due to the way the two teams, specifically team principals, parted at the end of 2018. This problem of now having no engine supplier for 2022 put RedBull on an extreme time limit if they want to start designing their 2022 car round their new engine.
RedBull will struggle to get to where they were supposed to be by 2022 but, there is also the frightening possibility that RedBull and AlphaTauri may leave F1 altogether. This possibility does not seem too out of reach either…
Honda pulling out of F1 has reignited talks about Formula One’s engine regulations. Many believe that they are becoming too complicated and expensive. If teams fail to produce an engine they can only use replacements from those within their ranks, if more and more teams fail to produce, there will be a huge problem for F1.
Pic: formula1.com
Helmut Marko, the current advisor of RedBull and head of their development program, stated to Auto Motor Und Sport that RedBull has given F1 an ultimatum letting those responsible at Formula 1 know that: Either engine development needs to be frozen from 2022 or RedBull will leave Formula 1 with its two teams. Now this statement by Marko does seem on the dramatic side but it could be the only way RedBull can achieve some sort of change in F1 engine regulations. If the engine regulations do not change in some way, RedBull will find it extremely difficult to be within title contention after their partnership with Honda.
While Mercedes are complacent with Markos ultimatum and Renault the same only with a few conditions, Ferrari are the only team to reject this idea of engine development being frozen. This rejection of Markos ultimatum could be down to Ferrari having serious problems with developing a successful engine in recent years…
Do you see RedBull finding a new engine provider or will they be saying goodbye? Let us know on instagram @fs_formulas !
See you next week!
Sach&Soph