Koji Watanabe, president of HRC, shared his thoughts on the upcoming 2025 season, looking ahead to the final year of collaboration with Red Bull.
The final race of the 2024 season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, once again highlighted the challenges Red Bull faced during the latter part of the year. These struggles exposed some weaknesses in the RB20, a car that appeared invincible back in March.
Max Verstappen started the race from fourth on the grid but made contact with Oscar Piastri (McLaren), who had started second. This incident dropped Verstappen to 11th and earned him a 10-second penalty. Sergio Pérez had an even worse outcome, retiring on the opening lap after a collision with Bottas.
Despite this disappointing finale, neither the Drivers’ nor Constructors’ Championship standings were affected. However, the Milton Keynes-based team remains far from complacent. This was underlined by Koji Watanabe, president of HRC (Honda Racing Corporation, developers of the RB20 and RB21 power units, before Ford takes over in 2026).
Koji Watanabe and Christian Horner’s remarks
Present at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Watanabe expressed a clear determination to end Red Bull’s partnership with Honda on a high note. As reported by AS-web, he stated: “I promised Horner that next year we will reclaim the Constructors’ Championship. In our final year together, we aim to win both titles—Drivers’ and Constructors’—and close this partnership with a double crown.”
Christian Horner echoed Watanabe’s sentiments and praised Honda’s contributions: “The stability and reliability provided by Honda have been key. I want to thank the entire HRC team for their outstanding work” , he concluded.
Photo: Oracle Red Bull Racing