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Formula 1: Why Red Bull Racing’s decision to switch to Honda is not surprising

By Asher Fair

SHANGHAI, CHINA - APRIL 15: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB14 TAG Heuer leads Daniel Ricciardo of Australia driving the (3) Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB14 TAG Heuer (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
SHANGHAI, CHINA - APRIL 15: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB14 TAG Heuer leads Daniel Ricciardo of Australia driving the (3) Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB14 TAG Heuer (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) /
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Red Bull Racing’s decision to switch from Renault engines to Honda engines in the 2019 Formula 1 season should not really be surprising to anyone.

Cyril Abiteboul, the managing director of Renault Sport, the factory Renault Formula 1 team, claimed that Renault were not surprised upon hearing the news that Red Bull Racing are set to end their 12-year partnership with French engine manufacturer and switch from Renault engines to Honda engines starting in the 2019 Formula 1 season.

Red Bull Racing had used Renault engines since the 2007 Formula 1 season, which was their third season in the sport. They had only previously used Cosworth engines, which they used in their first season in the sport, the 2005 season, and Ferrari engines, which they used in the 2006 season.

But the fact that Red Bull Racing have signed a two-year deal with the Honda to use engines produced by the Japanese manufacturer through at least the 2020 season should not really be surprising to anyone, as there was speculation that they would make this decision for quite a while.

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This speculation had been going on pretty much ever since Scuderia Toro Rosso, the Red Bull Racing junior team, announced toward the end of last season that they would be switching from Renault engines to Honda engines starting this season. They had never previously used Honda engines after arriving in Formula 1 in the 2006 season.

McLaren, meanwhile, switched from Honda engines to Renault engines, which kept Renault at their three-team limit and made Toro Rosso the only team using Honda engines. As a result, it only made sense for the Toro Rosso parent organization, Red Bull Racing, to switch from Renault engines to Honda engines as well even if it did take an extra year to do so, especially since it meant they could form a works relationship with Honda and potentially gain a financial benefit.

Magnifying this speculation was the fact that right around this time, Red Bull Racing indicated that they did now want their Renault engine supply to go beyond the conclusion of the 2018 season.

At the end of the day, their decision really should not have come as a huge surprise with all of these details from the course of the last several months in mind.

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Were you surprised upon hearing the news that Red Bull Racing will be switching from Renault engines to Honda engines in the 2019 Formula 1 season, or was this news that you were expecting to hear at some point in the near future?

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