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Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko revealed that the team had approached Ferrari to become the Bulls' PU supplier when their alliance with Honda came to an end with the company leaving the sport. However, due to compatibility issues between the vehicle and the Italian PU, neither AlphaTauri nor the Bulls were seen running with Ferrari engines. In an interview with Motorsport, Helmut Marko said that after Honda had decided to pull out of the sport, the team did not have enough choices.
“When Honda announced it was pulling out, we didn’t have much choice. We also talked to Ferrari. But you can imagine that if we had a Ferrari engine now, it would not run as well as in the factory car."
Honda has worked with the team since 2019 as their engine supplier, but after the 2021 season, they left the sport to focus their resources more on carbon neutral technologies. However, they made a deal with the team and will continue supporting them with their engine parts until the end of 2025. After that, the team will completely rely on their Red Bull Powertrains (RBPT).
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Honda logo returns on Red Bull from Japanese Grand Prix
Honda extended their deal with Red Bull back in August, looking ahead to the previously announced 2026 engine regulations. Interestingly, now Marko stated that the team has been in talks with Honda recently as they plan to make a return to the sport. At the same time, the team does not want to lose their independence.
“There are now talks with Honda, who are interested in a collaboration again anyway. It has to be, however, that Red Bull’s DNA is not compromised. It’s mainly about our incredible flexibility, that we can react extremely quickly.”
The AlphaTauri and Bull cars will also see the Honda logo return, as they have planned to do since the Japanese Grand Prix. They will provide them with technical support until 2026, when the RBPT will become completely reliable for both the teams.
