Marko planning trip to Japan for new Honda F1 deal
Sep.11 - Dr Helmut Marko is planning a trip to Japan to continue "negotiations" with Honda about the 2026 season and beyond.
It comes after advanced talks about a 50 percent buy-out of the dominant Red Bull team were confirmed to have collapsed.
Marko, who is Red Bull's top Austrian official reporting to owner Dietrich Mateschitz, also ruled out any involvement by Porsche in the team's new 'Red Bull Powertrains" subsidiary.
Red Bull Racing Team Consultant Dr Helmut Marko (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
"No, that's over too," he told Osterreich newspaper. "The first engine we developed has already run on the test bench, so we're doing very well for ourselves there too."
Currently, although not branded as such, Red Bull's Honda-based engines are still being supported on a technical and supply basis by the Japanese carmaker.
But a full works return for Honda is now on the cards.
"That is being negotiated," Marko said. "I will be flying to Tokyo between the Singapore and Suzuka races in early October."
One rumour is that the Porsche collaboration was ultimately called off because Red Bull's billionaire owner Mateschitz, 78, is suffering from health problems and could not oversee the talks.
"It had nothing to do with that," Marko, who also denied that Mateschitz's son Mark is getting increasingly involved with the F1 team as a result, insisted.
"No," Marko added. "But Mark is coming to Monza today."
Although Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is on pole, Marko thinks victory for runaway world championship leader Max Verstappen is possible even despite his grid penalty.
"Unfortunately, we cannot take the Ferrari anniversary into account if we want to become world champions," the Austrian smiled.
"The chances of Max winning for the first time in Monza are good. He doesn't make mistakes and with our bigger wing we slide less than the others. We were the best in race trim."
Indeed, Dutchman Verstappen could theoretically wrap up his second consecutive drivers' title next time out in Singapore.
"In terms of the party environment, Singapore wouldn't be bad at all," Marko smiled. "But in terms of our engine partner Honda, Suzuka would be even better a week later."
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I.e., from Singapore to Suzuka via Tokyo.
Interesting, Marko going to there place, The Japanese like respect and the Doc going to them.., says more about maybe Rb wanting Honda than Honda NeedinG Rb, either way , its purely down to ceeding a % of brand, Honda will, if the Porsche info is to be believed will imo be fine taking less than 50%, Honda road car MFRing may have finished in the UK but maybe Fi engines can be made there in the future
Bullish all he likes, see what I did there , why would you turn down Honda if a deal could be done?