Honda’s decision to leave Red Bull at the end of 2021 was not a huge surprise, according to the team’s top driver Max Verstappen.
Red Bull will have to find a new engine supplier from 2022 onwards after the Japanese manufacturer confirmed it would not renew its contract at the end of next year.
« You could feel it coming, » Verstappen said. « Of course, you don’t show it but of course I also knew it a little bit earlier than the announcement. It’s a shame but understandable from their side.
Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull until the end of 2023, but the Honda news has led to speculation that he may look at options outside the team before then. The 22-year-old said there was no certainty around Honda’s position when he signed his contract, but that the company’s exit had been a possibility even then.
« [The news] definitely came after I signed the deal but they never committed a lot longer, » he added. « So you could expect something like this, you’re never sure. That’s the same for teams as well. You sign a deal with them, but who knows what is happening in five years’ time.
« It is what it is, to be honest. Like I said, you could feel it coming, I guess the whole situation in the whole wide world is definitely not helping. Especially from the beginning of this year onward, once we finally got started, it’s just not easy. »
Asked directly if Honda’s decision might result in him leaving Red Bull, Verstappen said: « I just focus on this season and next season, I think that’s the most important thing. What happens after that, it’s so far that it doesn’t make sense to think about that yet. »
He added: « We’re still driving with them for one and a half years. Also, after that we got the new regulation of the cars coming in. So there are so many unknowns, at the moment it doesn’t make sense to think about that anyway.
« I’m just focused on what I have to do, and that is trying to drive the car as fast as I can with an engine in the back. I hope I’m not going to end up like Fred Flintstone and pedal it myself. It’s quite physically demanding. We’ll see again after next year. »
https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/30070142/max-verstappen-saw-honda-f1-exit-coming
