Why Did Honda Quit F1 Racing?

Honda boasts a long and storied history in Formula 1, fielding its first platform in 1964 – the RA271. Since then, the Japanese company firmly established itself as a premiere constructor within the series – though its streak was by no means unbroken. In fact, Honda pulled out of F1 no fewer than four times: 1968, 1992, 2008, and 2021. These created four distinct eras of Honda's Formula 1 program, with each era closing for various reasons. Let's take a look at the last of these eras, which ended in 2021, and what Honda plans to do when it returns in 2026.

The short answer to why Honda left in 2021 relates to carbon-neutrality and alternative fuels. Honda stated a desire to go carbon-neutral, with an electrification target deadline of 2030, and pulled out of Formula 1 to pour more of its resources into this venture. Honda's 2021 budget was set at $149 million — a budget which Honda breached. Formula 1 requires a vast amount of resources and technological development. Hence, amidst the rising research and development costs, Honda pulled out for a total of five seasons, only returning in the upcoming 2026 season.

Honda's primary contribution during this past era was as an engine manufacturer, culminating in its partnership with Red Bull and AlphaTauri. The Japanese company's contributions to the racing team led to the steady rise of Red Bull with drivers like Max Verstappen, culminating in a hard-fought second place finish for the constructors' title behind Mercedes. It's the most recent — though certainly not the last — accomplishment in an impressively long list, including some truly iconic moments in Formula 1 history.

Honda's first-ever victory in Formula 1 followed just one year after its debut, with the 1965 RA272 driven by Richie Ginther securing the win in Mexico. Just two years later, the budding F1 team took another victory in Italy during the potent RA300's debut race, driven by John Surtees. These marked the heady days of the first era of Honda's F1 pursuits, which ended in 1968 to focus development on road cars. Four years after, Honda released the Civic worldwide for the 1973 model year, great timing for an inexpensive economy car given that the first Oil Crisis occurred that very same year.

Honda's absence lasted a record 15 years before its eventual return during one of the most dangerous eras of F1: the 1980s. Reviving its efforts in 1983, Honda again proved a force to be reckoned with. In 1988, its partnership with McLaren and racing legend Ayrton Senna provided us with a master-class in F1 racing, with the McLaren MP4/4 securing 15 of a possible 16 wins. Honda's presence in the sport continued through to 1992, retiring to focus on other motorsports-related ventures.

Honda again returned to F1 in 2000, partnering with British American Racing (BAR) as an engine supplier. Eventually, this led to Honda gaining equity and eventually full-ownership of the team before pulling out again in 2008, this time because of the global economic crisis and a need to consolidate the manufacturer's budget to remain solvent.

Finally, we come to the modern Fourth Era of Honda's F1 team. As mentioned before, Honda finally retired due to a desire to dedicate more technical development time and budget towards emissions, carbon-neutrality, and electrification. However, this era provided Honda with similar levels of success to its predecessors, with the team again marrying its engine with McLaren's chassis and leading to a highly competitive car. 

Fielded by Red Bull and AlphaTauri, this effort started slowly, with Honda's initial 2015 season met with reliability problems and leading to Red Bull opting for a Renault powerplant in 2016. This hiatus didn't last long, though. After several more years of development time, Honda powerplants returned to Red Bull in 2019, following similarly poor reliability offered by the Renault counterparts. Honda, however, didn't disappoint again, with Max Verstappen securing four wins that year. By 2021, Honda seemed poised to take the constructors' title just before its retirement, leaving fans and press alike shocked and bewildered at its decision to leave seemingly right at its prime.

Honda's reasoning for its retirements might've changed each time, but one thing remained the same throughout its career — a passion for motorsports. The manufacturer retains a massive presence in the world of racing, competing in disciplines such as Super GT for decades. As such, it's not exactly surprising that a manufacturer as gifted as making fast cars as Honda would return to the F1 stage again – a plan set for the 2026 season. Given everything the company's learned through its last tenure in F1, hopes remain high that Honda will remain competitive at the highest levels and secure many championships to come.