Max Verstappen’s first World Drivers’ Championship title was not only a great accomplishment for the Red Bull Team, but it was also proof of how Honda’s hard work and resilience paid off since they re-entered the F1 scene in 2015 as an engine manufacturer. It has also been 30 years since the Japanese manufacturer won a driver’s championship in F1. 

The Honda name was not always associated with success in F1 over these recent years especially with its collaboration with McLaren. While the partnership with McLaren ended on poor terms in 2017 due to numerous reliability issues involving the engine, Honda was able to regroup and have a fresh start with Red Bull's sister team Toro Rosso which is now Alpha Tauri in 2018.

A year later Red Bull made the switch over to the Honda engines from Renault with a relatively smooth transition with 3 race wins from Verstappen. However, in 2020, the Dutchman secured two wins and 9 podiums and second place in the constructors’ championship for Red Bull but their race pace was far off from that of Mercedes.  

Honda technical director on the F1 side Toyoharu Tanabe, spoke about the progress that the Japanese manufacturer achieved over the past seven years and expressed how ultimately they owe their success so far to their belief in the technology itself. 

"Max winning the drivers' title is a great achievement for us, as we have been in the sport since 2015 and have been through a very difficult period of seven years, gradually improving," Tanabe stated.

"Last year we were quite a way behind Mercedes, but I'm very happy that we've come this far this year, with both drivers and constructors fighting for the championship.

"Unfortunately, we didn't win the constructors' title, but I think the reason we've come this far is because we believed in our technology, and we were determined to do what we had to do to win.

"We worked relentlessly to develop our technology to win. We've had the support of our operations group, our travel group and our families who send their families abroad to help us achieve this.

"I was talking to the Sakura guys earlier, and I think there's a sense of achievement in Max winning the championship at the end of the day."

Tanabe also explained how despite Honda’s struggles with McLaren from 2015 to 2017, they managed to create good chemistry with Toro Rosso at the time which eventually led to the Red Bull contract.  

"We worked with McLaren since 2015 and struggled with them. Then in 2018 we worked with Toro Rosso and we did it with an open mind, which led to a contract with Red Bull, which is demanding," said Tanabe.

"I think we understood each other and the drivers and what we had to do to get the best result, and it all came together. I think it's a great moment for us.

"I think it's to work together as a company and as a group, I think it is the process that is important. We seriously come to the circuit every time to win every race, with support from Sakura and Milton Keynes."

The 2021 season proved to be a bittersweet ending for Honda as they decided to pull out of F1 as a supplier. However, for the 2022 season, Honda will allow Red Bull and AlphaTauri to use their IP for the sole purpose of an engine supply.

Throughout the 2022 season, Honda will continue to help the two teams in building the power unit for 2022. They will ao offer trackside and race operation support from Japan throughout the season. In 2023 and beyond, Red Bull Powertrains will take over all the manufacturing and servicing of the engines.