In 2019, Red Bull took a gamble by partnering with Honda. This decision by the Austrian racing team turned out to be a masterstroke, leading to multiple world titles. Advisor Helmut Marko reveals that Red Bull’s risk was less significant than initially thought, as he had prior knowledge of the Honda project.
Red Bull has been collaborating with Honda since 2019, a partnership that has proven fruitful for both parties. The Austrian racing team has since clinched the constructors’ title twice and the drivers’ title three times with Max Verstappen. However, Red Bull’s decision to take the leap with Honda was not solely based on their confidence in the Japanese manufacturer.
Failed Deal with Mercedes Leads to Partnership with Honda
“We had a deal with Mercedes, a handshake deal with Lauda, which was not backed by Toto, so the deal fell through,” Marko reveals on the Inside Line F1 podcast. “And then we went to Honda. Honda had not managed to be competitive with McLaren at that time.”
Insider Knowledge
Marko discloses that his team had insider knowledge about Honda’s development work, which led them to partner with the manufacturer. “I had information from the inside about what they were planning to do, so we said ‘yes, we’re going ahead, we’re taking this risk’, which I think was no risk,” says the 81-year-old from Graz. “I knew how much they were spending on dynos (dynamometers). AVL is in Graz and I knew what they were spending. They were taking it seriously.”
“So then we switched to an engine that at that time, I think Alonso labeled them as ‘F2-style’ or something,” Marko continues. “We always made bold decisions. A bit of ‘no risk, no fun’.” Red Bull will end its successful collaboration with Honda in 2026. The Japanese manufacturer will partner with Aston Martin from that same year.
