HONDA The Power of Dreams

It has been eight years since we began supplying power units (PUs) to Toro Rosso in 2018. In 2019, we formed a partnership with Red Bull, and while there have been many ups and downs, I believe “gratitude” best sums up my feelings of this period.

First, I would like to thank Franz Tost, the former Toro Rosso team principal who trusted and accepted Honda when we parted ways with McLaren and were prepared to temporarily withdraw from F1. I am also grateful to Red Bull, a top team, for trusting Honda, which had no solid track record at the time, and adopting our PUs. The results proved that it was the right decision, but considering the circumstances at the time, it was a big decision. Honda responded to that trust by working extremely hard under tremendous pressure and achieving outstanding results together. I am also grateful to Red Bull for understanding Honda’s decision to end its F1 activities in 2020 and for continuing our partnership, which has resulted in many record-breaking achievements.

Personally, I am proud of the Honda engineers and staff who overcame difficult times and achieved the best possible results, and I am deeply grateful to them.

It was also an incredible experience to race alongside the outstanding driver Max Verstappen. While the numerous record-breaking victories are certainly memorable, the most significant moment for me personally was the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix. The season began with challenging conditions for the car’s performance, but Max secured pole position in qualifying and claimed victory in a race that was true to form. It was a miraculous qualifying and race, and an emotional experience. I could feel Max’s strong connection to Japan and Suzuka, and after the race, he even gifted us the helmet he used, which I believe is a sign of his deep appreciation for Honda. To me, this race was the culmination of our partnership.

Around the time our partnership with Red Bull began, I was not directly involved, but in April 2020, I took on the role of Honda’s Brand Communication Director, responsible for motorsports. That same year, Honda decided to end its F1 activities, and creating the path forward was my first and biggest mission. We approached Red Bull in August about ending the partnership, and made the official announcement on October 2.

After that, the difficult tasks we tackled were to do our very best in the final year of the partnership in 2021, and to determine how to transition the PUs to Red Bull starting in 2022. Red Bull expressed their desire to continue using Honda PUs. Since we were ending our F1 activities for our own reasons, we aimed to proceed in a way that minimized any inconvenience for Red Bull. However, there were more challenges than initially anticipated, and ultimately, we agreed that Red Bull would use the PUs we had developed as is, with Honda handling maintenance and track-side operations. Although it was a very difficult process, we believe we were able to create the best possible situation based on the trust we had built with Red Bull.

As a result, Honda concluded its independent F1 activities, but the relationship with Red Bull Powertrains continued in the form of a technical partnership. In 2022, Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) was restructured to handle automobile racing, including F1, in addition to motorcycle racing. HRC took over the technical partnership, and all aspects of F1 PU development, manufacturing support, and track-side operational support were transferred to HRC.

I was truly thrilling to see Max secure the championship in the last race of 2021, Honda’s final year in F1. We took a bold gamble in our last year by introducing a completely new PU. It was an extremely challenging undertaking, but it felt like all the hard work and effort paid off. In that sense, 2021 may have been the pinnacle of the Honda-Red Bull partnership.

Following that, we entered into a technical partnership with Red Bull Powertrains, contributing to the achievement of winning both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ titles in 2022 and a record-breaking 21 wins out of 22 races in the 2023 season. Max claimed his fourth consecutive Drivers' title, and being able to contribute to that achievement became a great source of pride and confidence for us.

There were many challenges, but I can confidently say that Red Bull has been our best partner, as we were able to work together with mutual respect, maintain a friendly atmosphere throughout the team, and fully share the strong determination to win.

Honda and HRC have gained a great deal over the past eight years. In a short period of time, we were able to overcome a very difficult period to a position where we could consistently win alongside Red Bull. The trial and error, the lessons learned, and the intense experiences on the F1 track are invaluable and unique It goes without saying that this experience and confidence form the foundation for our decision to take on new challenges starting in 2026.

The lesson I personally learned is that F1 is extremely important to Honda. I have come to understand once again that F1 is one of the most important elements that makes Honda unique as a company. Not only can we experience the challenges and rewards of competing and winning, but we also have the opportunity to share that journey and its results with people around the world. This has reaffirmed my belief that F1 is a cornerstone of the Honda brand.

Honda’s era of competing alongside Red Bull and contributing through PUs is coming to an end, but Honda and HRC are already beginning preparations to challenge its new F1 era starting in 2026 with a new PU. Red Bull will also take on the new era of F1, and while we will be competitors, the good relationship we have built will not disappear. Starting in 2026, as competitors, we hope to maintain the trust we have built while working together as good rivals so that F1 prospers even more.