Christian Horner reflects on Honda partnership: "We’ll be sad to say sayonara"

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has reflected on the team's successful partnership with Honda. The Milton Keynes outfit is set to part ways with Honda at the end of the current season ahead of the 2026 regulation changes. 

Honda had previously decided to withdraw from Formula 1 altogether, prompting Red Bull to launch Red Bull Powertrains' partnership with Ford. However, Honda reversed its decision and has now signed with the Aston Martin team for 2026 onwards. 

Red Bull is expected to run a special livery in the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix to honour its partnership with Honda, which began in 2019. 

While speaking to the media during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, the team chief claimed that he will "look back with pride" at the long-standing partnership. He explained:

“Honda is a great racing organisation. We’ve had a wonderful relationship since they obviously stepped away from McLaren and joined with us in 2019. 

“We’ve won six World Championships so far together and in excess of 60 races. It’s been the most successful Honda relationship in F1. 

Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

“I think their passion, their commitment has been outstanding and, of course, their product is very strong. They’ll continue that journey with Aston. I’m sure they’ll continue under the new regulations to provide competitive engines. 

“We’ll be sad to say sayonara at the end of the year, but we’ll look back on this period with great pride. And, of course, the next chapter for us is what’s particularly exciting as we produce our own power unit under our own roof in Milton Keynes in the UK.”

Horner provided an update on the progress of Red Bull Powertrains in February of this year.

"They're doing well. And behind the scenes again, back in Milton Keynes, working long hours and long days at the moment. But, we're making good progress with the engine. And together we've forwarded it. This time in twelve months it will be powering two Grand Prix teams. So, it's difficult to almost comprehend the scale of the challenge," Horner explained.

"It was a brand new company only four years ago, and now we're fully up and running in a brand new factory [with] all the machinery, and fully staffed. So it's exciting. There's a great atmosphere in the team and a nervous anticipation as well."