Honda Announces F1 Departure
Honda has announced that it will leave Formula 1 at the end of the 2021 season.
The car manufacturer is currently the engine supplier for the Red Bull and AlphaTauri teams, having returned to the sport with McLaren in 2015.
According to the Japanese company, the decision was taken to allow it to focus on sustainability goals.
The company said in a statement: “As the automobile industry undergoes a once-in-one-hundred-years period of great transformation, Honda has decided to strive for the ‘realisation of carbon neutrality by 2050.’ This goal will be pursued as part of Honda’s environmental initiatives which is one of the top priorities of Honda as a mobility manufacturer.
“In April of this year, Honda created a new centre called Innovative Research Excellence, Power Unit & Energy. Honda will allocate its energy management and fuel technologies as well as knowledge amassed through F1 activities to this area of power unit and energy technologies and take initiatives while focusing on the future realization of carbon neutrality. Toward this end, Honda made the decision to conclude its participation in F1.”
Honda has, however, committed to continuing with Red Bull and AlphaTauri for another year, having won five races across the two teams – including a win for Pierre Gasly in Italy, the first AlphaTauri victory in F1 since 2008.
