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Red Bull Racing will not rename Honda engines

Published on 26 Jun 2018 14:31
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By: Danny Sosef

Red Bull will not re-brand its engines next year. Recently, the energy drink owned brand has worked with title sponsor Aston Martin and re-branded its customer Renault engines as Tag-Heuer.

But that is changing from 2019. Red Bull has signed up with new works partner Honda, who intend to run the Honda brand on the former champion team's cars.

And Honda boss Masahi Yamamoto said even Red Bull using Aston Martin in the official team name will not be a problem.

"Aston Martin stands for sports cars, which is an overlap only with our NSX model," he told Speed Week.

"We discussed this at the board level and they think it's no problem. It's actually quite funny. In Tokyo, opposite our headquarters, a new car dealer was recently set up. "Which brand? Aston Martin!" the Japanese laughed.

Yamamoto admits that teaming up with Red Bull, currently a top F1 team alongside Ferrari and Mercedes, is a great privilege as well as a source of pressure.

Asked if Aston Martin Red Bull Honda can compete for the 2019 title, he answered: "Difficult question. Of course that must ultimately be the goal.

"Mercedes and Ferrari are still ahead so we have to increase our performance. Everyone knows that Red Bull builds the best chassis in formula one, so now we have to equip them with the best possible engine.

"I told the board: Red Bull Racing is our chance to show the world what we really can do. But to do that, we have continue to develop," Yamamoto added.

Mr.Useless

Posts: 18

But Honda is volume manufacturer. While AM is a niche maker in comparison. Honda's main markets are: US, domestic - Japan, Europe and China, in that particular order by volume, I believe. And they do not position themselves as a luxury car maker brand either. I am not sure you can call Acura luxu... [Read more]

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Jun 27 2018 - 13:09

F1 News Mercedes Red Bull Racing Renault Ferrari Honda

Replies (8)

talktohenry

Posts: 362
Total confusion for ordinary fan with 2 motor maker names, why are AM there?Iif they not an engine supplier or at least they should brand another engine with their name makes - have i missed a reason why as I would understand if they brand someone elses engine or supply their own?
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- Jun 26 2018 - 15:19
- Mr.Useless
  
  Posts: 18
  Oh yes, you have missed the fact that AM doesn't make their own engines. They can't supply PUs to RBR even if they wanted to. AM is there only for exposure. And they are doing just that - the project with Newey is just that - producing a "halo" car, necessary for a maker who brands itself as "sports car" company. Every such self respecting company has such a car as a demonstration of its technical prowess. Porsche - 918, Ferrari - LaFerrari, McLaren - P1, Mercedes - Project One, and now AM (which is owned by BMW, iirc) - Valkyrie. There you have it.
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  Jun 26 2018 - 17:28
- Smiler121
  
  Posts: 53
  It is Daimler Automotive Group who owns some of Aston Martin, not BMW.
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  Jun 26 2018 - 23:12
- calle.itw
  
  Posts: 8,527
  Daimler do own 5% of AM, the rest is, AFAIK, still owned by some Kuwaitis and an Italian firm.
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  Jun 27 2018 - 00:02
calle.itw

Posts: 8,527
I expected as much. After all, what gain would there be for any party involved? Red Bull had TAG as a middleman to get Renault units. With Honda they dont need that, and with the extra stickers on the car they will get plenty of cash. AM is and was in it for the branding and to get some Newey action with their recent car.
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- Jun 26 2018 - 15:47
reg

Posts: 162
Well AM have had many owners, none have ever made a real profit! Even going back to WO Bentley or the David Brown eras.
Honda have produced a great sports car the NSX ( and the S2000 - drive one you'll see how great) but it isn't /wasn't quite right and certainly nowhere near there even with Jag or Maserati, let alone Ferrari and AM.
So what price do we reckon on a Honda buy of AM, wouldn't surprise me and it's a once in a lifetime pass to World Class/ High Class. Even BMV went for RR and VW for Bentley.
It is clearly the only chance to buy real classy credibility. Honda need this more than winning in F1 - maybe they can do both, if so great - my Honda is a superior car its my fifth and I wouldn't buy anything else!
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- Jun 27 2018 - 01:01
- Mr.Useless
  
  Posts: 18
  But Honda is volume manufacturer. While AM is a niche maker in comparison. Honda's main markets are: US, domestic - Japan, Europe and China, in that particular order by volume, I believe. And they do not position themselves as a luxury car maker brand either. I am not sure you can call Acura luxury. This last point is debatable, but Acura is not a competitor to AM. Also AM are tiny next to Honda. They don't present any technical interest to Honda : AM don't even produce their own powertrain(their engines are rebadged fords). Honda on the other hand is a very diverse: they like to diversify by investing into robotics, aerospace and other more obscure projects(japanese are funny, in that way, you know?). So AM presents no interest for them. They could create a collaboration perhaps or even buy it if they were uncontested leaders in some sector. Like Mercedes bought the brixworth factory and rebadged it as Merc HPP. Honda is competing with renault(nissan) in F1. They are in MotoGP. Koreans are doing rallying for now, who knows, if they enter F1, Honda wanted to be ready or even perhaps be a step ahead. (Toyota was struggling in WEC).
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  Jun 27 2018 - 13:09
- RogerF1
  
  Posts: 501
  @ MR.USELESS, Correction. AML designed their own current turbo V12, it shares no parts with the non turbo V12 now on run out. The 2nd mainstream engine is the Daimler V8. The engine facility in Cologne is run by AML with AML employees, not Ford. I’m with Calle, the RB/Newey link helps build top range, expensive, sold out super cars and sells the brand of both organisations. I think the partnership will continue unhindered with Honda on board.
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  Jun 27 2018 - 21:58