https://f1i.com/news/431002-honda-to...ntil-2025.html
Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko has revealed that Honda will continue its direct supply of engines to the energy drink company's F1 teams until the end of 2025.
The change of plan takes a significant burden off Red Bull Powertrains which was expected to fully take over Honda's engine program from 2023.
Following its official departure from F1 as a works supplier to Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri, Honda struck an agreement with Red Bull by which it would continue to produce and assemble its annual allocation of power units at its Sakura R&D facility in Japan.
It was also agreed that Honda would provide technical support to Red Bull on race weekends while the bulk of its UK personnel would transfer to Red Bull Powertrains in Milton Keynes.
However, while it was originally expected that Red Bull would take over Honda's power unit program from next year - including its intellectual property - for a three-year period running up to the start of F1's new engine regulation cycle in 2026, the Japanese manufacturer has now changed its plan.
The article goes on to explain the real reason from RB's perspective - not supplying engines until 2026 makes them a newcomer should Audi or Porsche enter F1 at that time, and RB Powertrains would be able to share in any concessions they might be afforded.
Also, I suspect some creative accounting to maintain the cost cap, but those rules must be so complex (what is and is not included if the team is also an engine manufacturer) that who knows...