SUMMARY
- Red Bull's first success in F1 came with a Renault engine.
- Red Bull found success again with Honda in 2021.
Red Bull has come a long way since making their debut in 2005. At the time, they were one of the bottom teams who were disregarded as they were just an energy drinks manufacturer with a marketing objective. However, this team has now become the best and most dominant team in the sport.
Over the years, Red Bull have used various engines. Some were successful, others were not. Let’s take a look at the engines Red Bull has used so far and what they have been able to accomplish with these engines.
Cosworth (2005)
When Red Bull first bought the team from Jaguar in 2005, they retained whatever they could from Jaguar. This gave Red Bull something to work with as they developed the car. At the time, Jaguar was running with Cossworth’s engines. As a result, Red Bull chose to continue with the same engine for the 2005 season.
However, after a year, the team realized that the engine was not a powerful one. Hence, they decided to go with a manufacturer that has a rich history in racing and in Formula 1, Ferrari.
Ferrari (2006)
Given that Ferrari is one of the most popular teams in the world. Fans expected Red Bull to receive a powerful engine from the Prancing Horse. However, the agreement only allowed the previous year’s Ferrari engine. So while Scuderia Ferrari was running their upgraded 2006 engine, Red Bull was left with the 2005 engine.
After a year, the team realized that they would never be given priority with Ferrari. Since they have their own team, the red outfits will always build their engine around their car. And with Red Bull receiving outdated engines, it would not help the team in what they hoped to accomplish. This led them to make a move that is now seen as an ace in the hole.
Renault (2007 – 2018)
After the 2006 season, the Red Bulls decided to run their cars with Renault. This came during the perfect time as Adrian Newey joined the team in 2008. Following the 2008 season, the Renault team was suspended due to the scandal with Crashgate. However, they continued to provide Red Bull with the engines.
With the Renault F1 team out of the sport, they focused on building a good engine for Red Bull. Adrian Newey was able to put in his work and build a spectacular Chasis. In 2009, Red Bull achieved their first win with Sebastian Vettel. Towards the end of the season, Red Bull proved to be the strongest team. However, they lost the championship to Brawn GP as they were able to find a loophole in the regulations that allowed them to take an early lead.
27 Oct 2013: Sebastian Vettel clinches his 4th straight world title with victory in India – & celebrates in style 🍩🍩🍩 #F1 #OnThisDay pic.twitter.com/YlX89PzHkr
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 27, 2016
After the 2009 season, Red Bull went on to win 4 consecutive Championships. This was the peak of the Red Bull-Renault Partnership. However, this Championship streak ended when the FIA implemented regulations changes that allowed Mercedes to jump ahead.
From the 2014 season, Renault was back in the fold. Hence they were focusing on powering their own cars first. In 2018, Christian Horner finally had enough of the unreliable engines and decided to end the partnership.
Honda (2019 – 2021)
After letting go of Renault, Red Bull considered their options. The only suppliers in the market were Renault, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Honda. Given that Honda was the only manufacturer without a team in the sport, they decided to go in that direction knowing that the Japanese team would be able to focus on Red Bull’s engines.
As it turned out, this became an average start that blossomed in a couple of years. At the time, Daniel Ricciardo had doubts about Honda’s engines and decided to leave the team. However, Honda was able to live up to Red Bull’s expectations. In 2020, they were the 2nd fastest team. The next year, they were able to challenge Mercedes for the championship.
the Red Bull Family at Honda Thanks Day 👐 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/qGHWv9VzNo
— Scuderia AlphaTauri (@AlphaTauriF1) November 28, 2022
Honda and Red Bull put on a serious fight against Mercedes in 2021. They were genuine contenders for both Championships. Although they were not able to win the Constructors’ Championship, they were able to win the Drivers’ Championship with Max Verstappen. The victory was celebrated by both the Red Bull family and the Honda family.
Despite their success, halfway through the 2021 season, Honda announced that they would no longer be a part of F1 as it was too costly. This left Red Bull without a power supplier for the 2022 season.
Red Bull Powertrain (2022 – present)
After Honda’s exit, Red Bull was not left with many options. They could not go to Renault due to the way things had ended in 2018. Mercedes and Ferrari would be a red flag since both teams are rivals to Red Bull. This forced them to strike a deal with Honda.
Although the Japanese manufacturers announced their exit from F1, Red Bull was able to strike a deal with them to provide the team with the technology to build the engines. This allowed Red Bull to run the Honda engines under the name Red Bull Powertrain.
In 2022, the Red Bull Powertrains had a rough start but were able to turn things around after the first few races. Soon Max Verstappen was winning almost every race. He once again went on to win the Championship. This time, the team was able to win the Constructors’ Championship as well.
🗣 “The establishment of Red Bull Powertrains Limited is a bold move by Red Bull but it is one we have made after careful and detailed consideration.” Dr Marko on today’s announcement 👉 https://t.co/2ff5xAE3Gl pic.twitter.com/k3U93YWjhT
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) February 15, 2021
During the 2023 season, Red Bull had one of the most successful seasons in F1 history. The team and Max went on to break several records before winning the championship. This was Versstappen’s 3rd Championship in a row and the team’s 2nd. It looks as though this championship streak could continue until the 2025 season.
Before the 2023 season started, Red Bull announced that they would be partnering with Ford who will provide them with engines from the 2026 season. This could be an interesting partnership that could either continue Red Bull’s form or bring it down.
It will be interesting to see how Red Bull’s engines evolve in the next few years. Do you thnk their partnership with Ford will be successful? Post your answers in the comments section below.