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Honda’s decision to retire from F1 may mean that Max Felstappen will become a free agent at the end of the 2021 season.
The current contract between Max Felstappen and Red Bull is until 2023, but earlier this year, Red Bull Motorsports adviser Helmut Marco said that Felstappen’s contract would be if Honda decided to withdraw from F1. He hinted at the existence of a cancellation clause that agreed to leave the team.
“In principle, this contract is fixed. If it proceeds normally, everything is ready,” Helmut Marco said in January.
“Currently we have a contract with Honda until 2021 and of course it would be difficult for an F1 car without an engine.”
“So it is clear that a competitive engine is needed to keep Felstappen going.”
Now that Honda’s retirement from F1 for 2021 has been announced, Red Bull has two tough problems. One is to find a new engine supplier in 2022 and the other is to convince Max Felstappen to stay at Red Bull after that.
The Red Bull 2022 engine options are clearly in short supply. Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault will be the suppliers, but clearly there is a deadlock with Renault, which broke up in a fight. Mercedes and Ferrari, as in 2015, may hesitate to supply Red Bull for competitive, logistical or political reasons.
F1 competition rules state that “each manufacturer must supply at least three teams at the request of the FIA”, and Renault, which is only supplied by the factory team, may need to supply. ..
“We know the regulations and we comply with them,” said Cyril Abitebourg, representative of the Renault F1 team.
“I think it’s only discussed when Red Bull can’t find a solution. I really hope it doesn’t.”
However, such a solution may not convince Max Felstappen to aspire to the F1 World Champion.
Therefore, Max Felstappen’s conclusion after the bombshell news about Honda’s withdrawal from F1 would be to win the Mercedes F1 seat in 2022.
And it may be Lewis Hamilton who holds the key to that challenge.
Category: F1 / Honda F1 / Red Bull / Max felstappen
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