Honda says goodbye to Red Bull Abu Dhabi was a special GP for Red Bull. Here the Milton Keynes team not only competed for their fifth consecutive drivers’ title but raced for the last time with a power unit built elsewhere. In fact, the collaboration with Honda has officially ended at Yas Marina: the Japanese will supply the 2026 engine to Aston Martin, while Red Bull will build it in house with the help of Ford. Koji Watanabe was also in Abu Dhabi. The president of Honda could not miss the last one with Red Bull and Max Verstappen, a driver who he now associates with Ayrton Senna as the type of bond he had with Japanese motorists. Watanabe’s words “We have always shared the same goal: to reach the top. I am incredibly grateful to have been able to work with such an exceptional driver, someone who treated our team with honesty and respect. It is something we really appreciate in him. And it is also the reason why our collaboration has worked so well”, these are Watanabe’s words. “Abu Dhabi was a very exciting weekend, after seven years of working together. On the one hand, we can’t wait to start our new adventures, but obviously it’s also a bit of a sad time.”
“Max is incredibly popular in Japan. People now associate him with Honda, like in Senna’s time. He meant a lot to our company. His attitude and trust in our engineers have always been motivating. Max will always be in our hearts,” he added.
