Honda Set To Pull Out Of F1, What Next For Red Bull?

If anything this is the biggest news before the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix. Redbull and Honda's partnership will come to an end after 2021 season. Interestingly Honda said it isn't because of the ongoing Economic Depression, but their ambition to achieve "Net Zero Carbon Footprint" before 2050 & have aims to electrify two-third of their automobile sales by 2030, which is huge a number.

If anything this is the 4th time Honda has decided to leave F1. To be honest Honda as a engine supplier has had their fair share of success in F1. Honda has Won 6 World Constructors' Championships and 5 World Drivers' Championships.

McLaren Honda image by McLaren

Let's admit it Formula 1 is not very environmental friendly sport, It travels around the globe to race at 5 of the 7 continents (excluding Africa and Antarctica) with that amount of travel involved, which include essential needs & tools to be carried at each track within time so it can hit the ground running for the team's to be fully operational. From the smallest part of the car, to the equipment required to build that car also all the team members, mechanics, catering staff, food supplies. All these people have to be present at each and every race for proper working of the team. It has to transport all these thing to 5 different continents. The only fastest way is Air Transport we know how environmental friendly it is plus Formula 1 is a motorsport, the cars do 500+ kilometres of running throughout a race weekend (for 21 times a year), which doesn't help in reducing carbon emissions.

Want to know more, How F1 race takes place in just 7 days from Singapore to Russia? Click here

What Is Carbon Neutrality/ Net Zero Carbon Footprint?

As we all know Entire Automotive Industry is making Electric Vehicle's & have flaunted about the promise of better tomorrow in context of alternatives to petrol and diesel. 

Carbon Neutrality/ Net Zero Carbon Footprint means Reducing or Completely Removing carbon dioxide emissions from activities such as agriculture and industrial process. All of these activities are contributing to Global Warming and Climatic Changes, If we don't act now situation gets more worse. So, every big industry having global presence is try to reduce their carbon footprint for sustainable future. In Detail

Honda being an F1 engine supplier and part of a sport which has a huge carbon emissions rate can never achieve their goals and so decided to part ways from F1. Honda stated "Instead of spending $164 million (€140 million) on their F1 engine program, they would like to redirect those resources to carbon free technology for Road cars". But things don't add up, F1 has a plan to go carbon neutral by 2030. 20 years earlier than Honda's plan it's suspicious what Honda said in thier conference. If anything F1 is considered to be at the forefront of automotive industry in innovations. F1 will soon change the V6 engine with a more sustainable alternative.

What Next For RedBull?

Redbull is in serious trouble if you ask me, Not Only Redbull but their sister team Scuderia Alpha Tauri ( Formerly known as Toro Rosso) as they were the only 2 teams using Honda's 1.6 litre four-stroke Turbocharged V6 engine. Meanwhile Honda has offered to help Redbull and Alpha Tauri post 2021, they have offered them to keep the engine so that Redbull can develop it themselves or maybe with the help of new manufacturer. There is more to look at, given what all Help Honda can offer & to what extend they can help but this is a nice gesture from the Japanese Company.  I feel there are potentially 5 options for Redbull to explore.

Red Bull Honda image by Redbull Racing

1. Turning to other remaining F1 engine suppliers. Starting with the defending champion MERCEDES, there is no chance Mercedes would turn up to help Redbull. Firstly because they already have 4 teams to serve post 2021( Mercedes themselves, McLaren, Williams, BWT Racing Point) F1 engines are very expensive and complex to make and Mercedes doesn't require that added extra pressure to serve 6 out of 10 teams on the grid, and secondly Mercedes made it pretty clear they won't be providing engine's to teams which possibly can challenge them for Title. Let's see FERRARI now, at the start of Redbulls journey in F1 as a manufacturer they were supplied with Ferrari engine but the relationship didn't end well on management levels and since that it's been a long time and they haven't looked back to fix it. Plus given the Catastrophic season Ferrari is having in 2020 is partly because of their engine performance. I don't see that happening either. That leaves us with last but not the least RENAULT. If you've seen the NETFLIX DRIVE TO SURVIVE web series you know that how bad the Redbull Renault partnership ended, they just hated each other and Redbull after a point was blaming Renault for poor engine optimization dispite Redbull winning 4 back to back DOUBLE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS with Renault engine's from 2010-2013.
2. Developing their own engine. Redbull can finally become a full fledged F1 constructor. Yeah, there is a very small chance Redbull might consider doing it. But they shouldn't do it because that means Redbull will be committed to F1 for longer period as investing a huge amount of money in something that might not give positive result will be total loss, and they developing a engine of their own is not going to be straightforward. Redbull can buy over the existing Honda F1 Engine factory with all engineer's but Honda would require those big brains for thier EV's R&D,  also Redbull don't have time to experiment, they have 2 team's to serve. Redbull wants to challenge Mercedes for Titles and they can't do it if they go down this road.
3. A new engine supplier can join F1. There are speculation of Porsche coming to help Redbull but let's face it, as said earlier all Car makers have goals to go electric, in addition to that Porsche has their own Formula E team. Will they want to join F1? I don't know, they might but let's see what lies beyond 2025. F1 will want to change the current 1.6 litre four-stroke Turbocharged V6 engine to something more electric. Yup, F1 has plans to Reduce Carbon Footprint by 2030, with major engine changes expected by 2026. So Porsche or any other engine supplier joining F1 now will have no time to develop a powerful enough engine that satisfies Redbull but also would be looking at what is about to come. I feel there is no way given that much to deliver, a new team would want to join.
4. Redbull Renault would eventually happen. If Redbull is unable to find a engine supplier FIA will have to handle the matter. Rules says if a manufacturer is unable to find a engine supplier, the existing engine supplier with least amount of customer teams will have to supply their engine. Which leave Renault being the only choice as post 2020, Renault will be the only team with Renault Engines. If you ask me no matter how much they hate each other that is the only realistic option Redbull has.
5. Redbull leaving F1. Remember I have been talking for both Aston Martin Redbull Racing as well as Scuderia Alpha Tauri. Both teams might end up pulling out of F1 which leave F1 with just 8 teams and F1 will try their best to stop them. RedBull Advisor Helmut Marko said Redbull leaving F1 can happen if they don't see future within the sport but that's not Redbulls priority right now. Or they can sell the teams to some other manufacturer, Like WILLIAMS recently did. But that will be really hard, given the Economics Depression and the fact that there are 2 different F1 teams. Redbull would want some good money in exchange for that which not many will be willing to offer.

What Does Honda's Exit Mean For RedBull's Current Drivers?

Max Verstappen (left) & Pierre Gasly (right) image by Redbull Racing

Max Verstappen. Rumours say that Max's contract with Redbull ending in 2023 has a exit clause saying incase honda pulls out of F1 he can leave too. Max is a extremely talented and fast driver and is in early stage of his career. Redbull Honda partnership promised him a championship winning contender, with Honda leaving will he stay at Redbull, but there are no other option for him. Mercedes has their star driver as Lewis Hamilton and soon will be replaced by George Russel and they don't want to have 2 star driver's . Ferrari has their future planned around Charles Leclerc. That doesn't mean he can't go to either of them he has the most experience among other 23 y/o. But will the other teams want that battle among team mates?

Pierre Gasly. He is an impressive driver and what has happened to him in the past 2 years is just unbelievable there were really bad times and some good once and he coped up with all of that amazingly, he has been exceptionally good in Alpha Tauri despite being demoted by Redbull for underperforming, scoring 1st career podium in Brazil, ending P7 in drivers championship last year and starting on a high note for 2020 season, 1st Race Victory for the underdog Alpha Tauri in Monza, he has just got better and better. This is a nice opportunity to see a seat at top teams outside of Redbull, Given Max is Redbull's star driver he will never get the priority even if he is promoted back to Redbull. In addition to that I feel he has a better chance at Mercedes then Max not on basis of raw speed but as a good team player. 

Yuki Tsunado. Redbull junior(Also a Junior at Honda F1 Dream Project ) currently racing in F2 had a good shot at F1 in Scuderia Alpha Tauri said Helmut Marko. But now that Honda is quitting will he be in that seat who knows, that's one more question that Redbull has to answer.