Yahoo Autos Red Bull Racing Will Use Honda Engines in 2019
Honda, if you haven't heard, has had a pretty terrible time in Formula One since it returned with McLaren in 2015. The partnership that was supposed to rekindle one of the most successful pairings in F1 history was a dismal failure, with the team only dominating in terms of DNF and disappointment, not results.
McLaren ended its Honda agreement early to get a supply of customer Renault engines, while Honda landed with Toro Rosso, Red Bull's junior team.
Unlike McLaren, Toro Rosso hasn't had as many issues with Honda stepping up its game mightily. Apparently the relationship has been good enough for the senior team, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, to sign a deal with Honda for power units starting in 2019.
The news, confirmed by Red Bull's Christian Horner, isn't a total shock. Just like how McLaren was unhappy with Honda, Red Bull has been at odds with Renault in recent years. The team has almost ditched the manufacturer a number of times.
Swapping to Honda will give Red Bull factory support with its engines. If Honda can continue to improve like it has so far this year, it might prove to be a shrewd move. A successful season for Red Bull-Honda will also make McLaren wonder if perhaps the problem wasn't Honda, but was coming from inside Woking.
This will also give Daniel Ricciardo a lot to think about. The Australian's contract with Red Bull is up at the end of 2018, and he is one of the best and most in-demand drivers in the paddock. If he doesn't like the idea of having Honda power, then Ricciardo could be making a move across the paddock to another team, like Ferrari. But if this move was made to appease Ricciardo, then look for news of a contract extension to come in soon.
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