Red Bull agree to use Honda engines from 2019 F1 season to end 12-year deal with Renault

Four-time constructor champions have agreed a two-year deal to use Honda engines along with sister team Toro Rosso from 2019

Red Bull will use Honda engines from 2019 after ending their deal with Renault (Getty)

Red Bull will sever ties with the engine supplier that powered them to four consecutive world championships after announcing that they will switch from Renault to Honda next season, ending an 12-year relationship.

Having one two Grand Prix this season in the form of Daniel Ricciardo’s triumphs in China and Monaco, there was late hope for Renault that they would be able to hold onto Red Bull as their main customer team, but an announcement on Tuesday morning confirmed that the team will follow Toro Rosso’s move in using Honda power units from 2019 after agreeing a two-year deal.

Speaking after the announcement was made, team principal Christian Horner said: “This multi-year agreement with Honda signals the start of an exciting new phase in Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s efforts to compete not just for grand prix wins but for what is always our goal – championship titles.

“We have always taken decisions such as this dispassionately and with only one criteria in mind – do we believe the outcome will allow us to compete at a higher level. After careful consideration and evaluation we are certain this partnership with Honda is the right direction for the Team.”

“We have been impressed by Honda’s commitment to F1, by the rapid steps they have made in recent times with our sister team Scuderia Toro Rosso, and by the scope of their ambition, which matches our own. We look forward to working with Honda in the coming years and to racing together in pursuit of F1’s biggest prizes.”

The move is a major coup for Honda after their failed partnership with McLaren, which saw the Woking outfit struggle for results in their three years together as they were plagued by engine reliability issues. McLaren ended that agreement last season to take up Renault’s allocation of engines that it had available from the Toro Rosso deal, who have also struggled this season with just three points finishes.

The short-term agreement of two years also leaves the door open for a change under the new engine regulations that are yet to be decided, with Aston Martin considering a move into the sport from 2021 depending on what direction the sport takes.

After the deal was announced, both Red Bull and Renault acknowledged the success that they enjoyed together, having powered Sebastian Vettel to his four drivers’ championships between 2010 and 2013 and four consecutive constructors’ championships. In total, they won 57 grand prix together, with the potential for more success this season as they will continue to work together until the end of the current campaign.

“We would like to thank Renault for the past 12 years, a period during which we experienced some incredible moments together,” Horner added. “We have sometimes had our differences but Renault has always worked tirelessly and to the best of its ability to provide us with a competitive power unit. That is still the case today and we would like to thank the Renault team, and particularly the guys in our garage at every race, for their unstinting commitment and we look forward to ending our partnership on a high come the end of this season.

“Our focus for the rest of this year is still very much on delivering the best results possible in the 2018 Championship and we wish Renault Sport all the best for the future.”

With their engine suppliers locked down, Red Bull will now turn their attentions to its driver line-up for 2019. Although Max Verstappen is tied down until 2021 after signing a contract extension earlier this year, Ricciardo is yet to decide where he will drive next season as his deal is up for renewal at the end of the year.