Red Bull rules out talks about a possible Honda comeback: "It's a matter for them

Honda left Formula 1 for good at the end of last year, right after Max Verstappen won the world championship. However, it never completely left the category, as it maintained an engine production partnership agreement with Red Bull - which founded its own power unit production division - until 2025. Starting next year, when new engine rules will come into effect, however, a possible return of the Japanese brand has been aired.

The new rules have also created interest in other brands, such as Volkswagen, which is only waiting for the definition of the regulations to make official the entries of Porsche and Audi in the category. While the future of the latter is still unclear, the former is interested in a supply link with Red Bull. According to reports on the German portal Auto Motor und Sport, Honda would also be interested in a possible return, perhaps as a partner of AlphaTauri.

However, Christian Horner - Red Bull's boss - said he has no knowledge about the matter and ruled out that there are talks between the parties. "Whether Honda should reverse their decision after 2025? That is really a question for them," Horner replied. "Certainly, there have been no discussions with us on that matter," the Brit stressed.

▶️ Meet the GRAND PRIZE channel on Twitch by clicking here!

Horner revealed that Red Bull has finally opened the Red Bull Powertrain facility, the team's division focused on engine production and which relies on a technical partnership with Honda. The Briton highlighted the bond that still exists between the parties, but did not address a possible return.

"We opened the Red Bull Powertrain building this week, so the team has already moved into the facility, which will allow us to produce really competitive engines from 2026," he revealed. "We have an engineering partnership agreement with Honda for the supply of the current engines, until the end of the current rules in 2025," he stressed.

Finally, Horner acknowledged that the establishment of the rules is essential for the brands to make their participation in the category official. Although talks have been ongoing since last year, so far Formula 1 has not defined what the power unit regulations will be from 2026 on.

"Of course, there are talks with Porsche and Audi, who are wanting to enter the sport - and I think it's encouraging for Formula 1 to have brands like that wanting to enter," he said. "But again, it's a matter about what the new rules will look like, what the treatment of a new team will be, and so many aspects like that," he closed.