Saw a vid talking about that so it’ll be interesting to see how each team handles it. That’s what got me into F1. I like how each team takes the rule book and interprets it themselves to fit it.
So Honda is out after 2021. Given that Merc and Ferrari are already supplying most of the teams on the grid, RB and Alpha Tauri will have to go back to Renault engines. That should be interesting given their pretty nasty divorce couple of years ago.
Did they say why? And that must be an interesting call from RB after they talked about how renault wasn’t a good fit anymore
I know right? 
Honda said they’re going to focus on going carbon neutral and will redirect the F1 funds to that.
And Renault talk about how they didn’t want to just be a supplier to the other teams but more of a partnership
Probably they’ll rebrand as Aston Martin engines and pretend everything is fine lol. While hating each other the entire time. That should make for fine drama 
That’s going to be an uncomfortable conversation between them next year.
Honda dropping out was a bit of a shock to me… After the “comeback” with McLaren, i would not have been surprised if they pulled out after their relationship broke down with the team. But now it seems they have a reliable and pretty competitive engine, although still a bit off Mercedes (but on par with renault, and this year i would say better than Ferrari)… So why quit now after first spending all that money and time to get where they are today… They would probably get more in return by staying a few more years and perhaps get a chance at striking gold with the new engine regulations…
As for RedBull getting back with Renault as their engine supplier, i guess Renault is obligated to supply through their concorde agreement. but one would think their working relationship will be a bit strained after their messy separation a few years back 
I really want to be in the room when Horner and Abitabou discuss the future
What I’m really curious about though is exactly what’s in Max’s contract and if this gives him an out.
A ton of money potentially having to be sunk into the 2022 regulations coupled with a change of heart at Honda leadership? The ICE is dead, the future is electric and hydrogen fuel cell. They’re not just quitting they’re quitting and saying they’re moving the the carbon neutral world.
In the end I think this was a gable for them that didn’t pay off and it’s better than doubling down for another generation of regulations in the new PU.
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Could Renault and Mercedes be really mean and say no we wont sell you an engine? So basically force RB out
Nope. The sporting regulations that all engine manufacturers signed lay down the law on what’s required of them under what circumstances. There can not be a team without an engine. They can legally be forced to supply because that’s the legal binding they signed.
So could RB force Mercedes if they didn’t want to go back to Renault? Or since there is that option. Forcing only comes into play when both do
I do understand that angle, but still… I feel they should have stuck with it a few years more, to just prove their engineering capabilities and not leave when people still remember their first few years in the comeback with “gp2 engines” comment stuck in mind. But i do see how a green and “clean” image for the future doesn’t really go very well together with F1 
Don’t think anyone can for Mercedes to do anything at this point, especially supply their main competitor… “a fizzy drinks company”.
Next year Mercedes will be supplying McLaren, Williams, and Racing Point (Asten Martin) That’s 40% of the grid.
Ferrari supplies Haas, Alfa Romeo, that’s 30% of the grid. Renault’s got no customer teams next year. Guess which one is going to be in the back of the RB and AT?
RB themselves can’t force anyone to do anything. They can ask Merc or Ferrari for engines or try to get a new manufacturer in the sport. If none of those work out, the sport’s governing body enforces the rules of the sporting regulations which state that the manufacturer with the fewest customers (Renault) has to provide the power units.
Rumor is Honda pulled the plug because the new regulations restrict engine development. They’ve doubled down on Indycar where development is pretty open. So the alternative fuel excuse they gave for pulling out is likely just marketing.
Some interesting tidbits (beyond the headline) here:
I just hope Russell stays in F1, as i think he has extracted a lot of performance out of the Williams the last 2 seasons, way more than his teammates. Russell weakness though, the way i see it, is that in the races he perhaps haven’t lived up to his qualifying results. That might come down to the car being worse with more fuel/weight, or that he just lacks a bit of experience.
Money though, usually is hard to beat, and i guess Russell can’t compete with Perez and Latifi in that regard, but hopefully he can get a seat somewhere on pure driving skills.
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He’s a Mercedes driver and I’m sure they’re getting a discount on PU for having him at the seat. He’s a great young driver and I’d love to see him in the sport in a better car, it’s just that seats are hard to come by. IMO Sergio deserves a seat but I wouldn’t rate him at Russell’s potential.
Didn’t discuss it here but the Schumacher record tying and having Mick hand Hamilton one of his father’s helmets, it was a touching moment.