In 2019, Red Bull and Honda teamed up for their first full season and the two worked extremely well together. Needless to say, Mercedes F1 noticed and they were thoroughly impressed by the Japanese manufacturer’s progress.
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As it turned out, engine boss Andy Cowell even went as far as to suggest that Honda is “way ahead of Ferrari” in the development race.
The Japanese giant returned to F1 in 2015 as an engine supplier and was tied up with the McLaren F1 team. Unfortunately, that did not last long, as engine reliability issues throughout three seasons broke up that relationship pretty quickly.
At the same time, Red Bull’s partnership with Renault was rapidly breaking down until they parted ways as well. So, Red Bull approached Honda, while McLaren trotted off to Renault.
With their new partners, Honda used the 2018 and 2019 seasons to develop its engine to challenge Mercedes and Ferrari. This swap was needed, as Red Bull became competitive right off the bat, with Max Verstappen taking three wins in 2019. In addition to that, he claimed eight more podiums with two bonus podiums from Toro Rosso in Germany and Brazil.
Mercedes F1 praised the Japanese manufacturer for their improvement and development rate compared to their other rival, Ferrari. Interestingly, Cowell also predicted that Red Bull-Honda could be a real threat to them soon.
“Honda are the best improvers this year, they’re way ahead of Ferrari in terms of the development rate,” Cowell admitted to Motorsport Magazine.
How will 2020 shape up for Mercedes F1 and Red Bull?
He noted that Red Bull is capable of producing championship-winning cars. Add to the equation a driver of Max Verstappen’s talent, and Honda’s investment in their research and development. As a parting note, Cowell acknowledged that their progress is visible on track and it will make 2020 an exciting season.