Explainer: Honda's role in F1 & why is it in F1 after exit

Honda's exit from F1 has been similar in its characteristics to its history in F1; it has been confusing. In October of 2020 Honda announced it would leave F1 to refocus its resources on more sustainable initiatives. After powering Max Verstappen's RB16B to win his maiden World Drivers' Championship in December of 2021, Honda officially left Formula 1.

In 2022, however, we saw the iconic Japanese brand return to F1, barely months after it officially left, in the form of a small ‘HRC’ sticker on the back of the engine covers of the Red Bulls. HRC, of course, stands for ‘Honda Racing Corporation’. In the 2023 season, there remains a Honda decal on the back of the engine covers of all four cars of the two Red Bull teams, as well as Honda emblazoned on the drivers’ overalls.

What is the deal with Honda in F1, then? Has it left? Does it plan on leaving? Did it leave and come back? Why is Honda being so confusing? This article answers these questions.

Honda has always had a rich history (albeit on and off) in F1, and after a hiatus of seven years, returned to F1 in 2015 as an engine supplier to McLaren. At the end of the 2017 season, the two parties split, with relations having been extremely strained. Honda began supplying Toro Rosso, Red Bull Racing's junior team, in 2018. Red Bull Racing then switched to Honda engines in 2019. In October 2020, however, Honda announced it would leave F1 at the end of the season, and in December 2021 did so accordingly. Honda’s stated reasons for quitting the championship were that they wanted to focus on sustainable operations and road car manufacturing.

After the FIA granted a freeze on engine development until the 2025 season under the historic Concorde Agreement, Red Bull decided to take its engine development in-house by creating Red Bull Powertrains (RBPT). Honda, however, would remain involved by continuing to supply power units to both Red Bull teams, as well as by providing trackside and operational support. The underlying technology and intellectual property of the power units is still Honda, and the manufacturing of the units is still done by Honda.

In 2022, Honda carried out this role largely silently, with its only credit being an HRC decal on the engine covers of all four cars. This, however, changed from the Japanese Grand Prix, with the HRC decal being moved to the nose cone, making space for a ’Honda' decal on the engine cover. The power units of the 2022 Red Bull cars were still badged as RBPT power units. In 2023, this was changed significantly, with Honda and HRC decals being on the cars, as well as the power units being rebadged as RBPT Honda.

Honda, therefore, is very much still in the championship, with its technology powering four cars in the pinnacle of motorsport. The Japanese icon is still maintaining active personnel embedded in the two teams, and still pouring money into the power units. Its role, however, has definitely been reduced to a significant degree, both in terms of physical presence and funds invested in the sport, as well as branding. Does this mean, then, that the period until 2025 in which it is locked in with the Red Bull teams is a transitory period to eventually fully exit the sport? Fortunately, no. The FIA announced in February 2023 that the Honda Racing Corporation would be one of six manufacturers signed up for the 2026 season.

Honda, then, is not planning on leaving the sport anytime soon, having committed to the sport until at least the 2026 season. This effectively means that the iconic Japanese brand has made a 180 degree turn on its October 2020 announcement, which communicated its intent to leave the sport.

Why did Honda decide to stay in F1?

One theory that answers this question is that Honda made this decision during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic under a different CEO, amidst cost cutting initiatives aimed at making the company profitable, and didn’t see the massive success that both F1 and its technology has been experiencing lately. It looks like Honda is attempting to make a U-turn to capitalize on the success of its technology and F1. Another theory is that Honda truly wanted to focus on more sustainable initiatives, and with F1’s newly announced plans to make the sport carbon neutral by 2030 and use 100% sustainable fuel from 2026 onwards, Honda’s sustainable aims began to align with the direction the sport was heading in. Perhaps Honda decided that the sport was worth pursuing after all. The most likely explanation, however, is that a combination of both of these theories resulted in Honda’s decision to remain in the sport and commit to the sport.

Regardless of why Honda continues to stay in the sport, F1 fans should be happy with the diversity that Honda’s remaining in the sport contributes, and the fact that an iconic brand such as Honda will remain in the sport.