If 2022 changed the definition of an F1 car as we knew it, then 2026 is going to throw the entire game off guard. Or at least that’s what the fans want! In 2026, the new engine regulations will set in, and it could legitimately disrupt the pecking order. Red Bull and Aston Martin shall be in the middle of it all, though, as the two shake hands and take a piece of something different for themselves.

The Milton-Keynes-based outfit parted ways with Honda at the end of a glorious 2021 season for them. However, soon, the Japanese manufacturer came back into the fray. Now, after Honda signaled its intentions to return to the sport on a full-time basis from 2026, the Bulls have decided to ditch them for a $30,000,000 deal with Ford. Consequently, Aston Martin has ditched Mercedes to partner up with Honda now.

Christian Horner takes a thinly veiled jab at Aston Martin and Honda

It was Red Bull that decided to let Honda go. However, when push came to shove and Aston Martin snapped the Japanese giants up, Red Bull boss Christian Horner didn’t let up while delivering his verdict on the union as the Silverstone-based team decided to ditch Mercedes.

Formula1News.co.uk quoted him as saying, “They’ll get a competitive engine, but they already have a competitive engine. They will perhaps achieve more independence because I guess their architecture is currently dictated by another team [Mercedes].”

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“And it’s very expensive for them in the cap. The transferable components come with a big tax on them. So it’s not cost-efficient for them to be a customer. It’s good to see Honda continuing in the sport.”

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The Brit continued, “They have obviously done a significant U-turn from where they were 18 months to two years ago. But I think their decision, in many ways, forced us to make a decision about our long-term future and not being beholden to a manufacturer and taking control of our own future.”

But as Honda still lingers on at Milton-Keynes, till the 2026 formalities kick in, how does Red Bull treat the departing enemy?

Red Bull wary of Honda

Once the Ford partnership kicks in and Honda finally parts ways with the Bulls, things will be different. But Red Bull knows they cannot compromise their winning formula in any way. Hence, Horner explains how a wall of secrecy has already been built between the team and Honda.

Horner revealed, “There’s no crossover of intellectual property. All the Honda engines are produced in Japan and everything on the RB Powertrains side is very much focused on 2026. So there is a clear Chinese wall between the two activities, but we’re obviously going to be working with Honda over the next few years to achieve the best results that we can.”

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Can Honda propel Aston Martin to championship success as they did with Red Bull?