Red Bull to run ‘Honda RBPT’ power units in 2023

Red Bull’s power units will be known as Honda RBPT engines in 2023 as part of a rebranding to highlight the Japanese manufacturer’s influence.

Honda officially announced it was withdrawing from Formula 1 at the end of the 2021 season, but continued to provide support and facilities as Red Bull set up its own company – Red Bull Powertrains – that helped secure a championship double last season. That partnership is due to run until 2025, with new regulations one year later seeing Red Bull join forces with Ford.

Despite the recent Ford announcement, the fact that Honda will remain involved for a further three years under the Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) banner means that will be highlighted in the naming of the power units that are run by both Red Bull and AlphaTauri. The engines will now be rebranded as Honda RBPT.

“The power unit’s name has changed – it’s now a Red Bull Powertrains power unit – but the technology or the IP is really Honda’s,” outgoing managing director of HRC’s automobile racing development division Yasuaki Asaki said. “The manufacturing of this power unit is still going to be mainly done by Honda.”

HRC has also signed up as one of the power unit manufacturers for the new regulations in 2026, though it stressed no final decisions have been made after initial contact from a number of other teams on the grid.

“From 2026 Red Bull and Ford will be partnering and in advance we received a notification,” HRC president Koji Watanebe said. "So Honda and Red Bull until 2025 will continue to have trust and a great partnership and we aim to win the championship until 2025 so we have that unwavering policy on that.

“After 2026 and onward Red Bull will partner with Ford and we are not in a position to say anything about that. But in other racing series we have the partnership with Red Bull, so we continue to work together.”