Tost celebrates Honda's legacy as the Red Bull era concludes.

      "Motorsport is integral to the company's core philosophy."

      17 September 2025 - 07:45

      Franz Tost has expressed his admiration for Honda as the Japanese manufacturer’s incredibly successful partnership with Red Bull approaches its conclusion. After helping Max Verstappen and Red Bull secure several world championships, Honda will transition to Aston Martin in 2026, while Red Bull works on its own power unit in collaboration with Ford. Tost, who stepped down as the head of Honda-powered Toro Rosso-Alpha Tauri at the conclusion of 2023, shared his recollections with Servus TV concerning the initial doubts from competitors. "It was in 2017, and there was an exhibition in London. We were already in discussions with Honda. At that time, representatives from McLaren came to me and asked, 'What are your ambitions with them?'" the 69-year-old Austrian reminisced. "I replied, 'Just wait, and we’ll regroup in five years.’ The reality is, those people were no longer around five years later, while Honda achieved success in Formula 1."

      Prior to Red Bull, McLaren experienced a tumultuous period with Honda power. However, Tost stated he wasn't taken aback by this outcome. "It failed because there was no collaboration or sharing of information; McLaren kept everything to themselves," he reasoned. "With us, the partnership was immediate. While 2018 was challenging, in 2019 they clinched their first victory. The subsequent developments with Red Bull are well-known." Tost commended Honda as one of the leading motorsport companies globally. "Motorsport is part of the company’s very philosophy," he noted. "This principle originates from Honda’s founder—he intended to leverage motorsports as a platform for training engineers in a highly competitive setting before they returned to the factory. This philosophy continues to be relevant today. I must say, it was an excellent collaboration."