What engine did Red Bull Racing use in 2021?
3 Answers
Red Bull Racing has been using Honda engines since 2019. The reasons for Red Bull choosing Honda are as follows: Honda does not have its own F1 team: Honda has not never operated a factory team. During the period from 1964 to 1968, the Honda team also appeared independently on the F1 circuit, but the team only achieved 2 victories in 35 races over 4 years, ending in dismal failure. In 2006, Honda bought the BAR team, but the results were equally disappointing, and they ultimately sold the team to former Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn in 2009, once again withdrawing from F1. Operating a factory team is an extremely expensive endeavor, posing a significant burden for an automaker. Coupled with the stark contrast in performance between operating as a factory team and as a supplier, it is foreseeable that Honda is unlikely to return to F1 as a factory team in the future. This is the most important reason for Red Bull's choice of Honda. Honda's history: After the economic crisis, Honda withdrew from F1. In 2015, they reunited with their former golden partner, the McLaren team, to once again become an engine supplier.
In 2021, the Red Bull Racing team used the Honda RA621H engine. Although Honda had already announced its withdrawal from F1 after the season, it continued to support Red Bull and its sister team AlphaTauri as the power unit supplier throughout the year. This hybrid system really mastered turbocharging, delivering both powerful and stable performance. Max looked incredibly cool overtaking cars on the straights with this beast. Red Bull even established the Red Bull Powertrains division to take over subsequent development, with Honda's Japanese engineers staying on to assist with the transition. During the final laps of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Verstappen's ability to keep up with Hamilton was all thanks to this powerhouse.
As a Formula 1 fan who has followed the sport for over a decade, I remember that year when the Red Bull Racing cars still prominently featured Honda's large 'H' logo on their side pods. Originally, Honda planned to withdraw at the end of 2021, but they were persuaded by Red Bull to stay until the season concluded. Even Honda's engine development team relocated from Japan to the UK to assist with tuning. This power unit excelled particularly in low-temperature heat dissipation, often outperforming Mercedes in straight-line speed. Later, when Honda transferred all intellectual property to Red Bull, they even included the complete set of blueprints and codes. Without this, Red Bull wouldn't have been able to develop their own engine so quickly under the new 2022 regulations.
