Team Mugen’s association with Red Bull in Super Formula is set to come to a conclusion at the end of the 2024 season, Motorsport.com has learned.
Red Bull and Honda have collaborated with each other's junior schemes since the two entities came together in Formula 1 when the energy drink giant’s second team, then known as Toro Rosso, took the Japanese manufacturer’s engines in 2018.
With Honda set to become the works partner to Aston Martin in 2026, the relationship between Mugen, Honda’s leading team in Super Formula, and Red Bull was originally expected to last until the end of 2025.
However, multiple sources have indicated to Motorsport.com that the agreement will now instead be terminated upon the conclusion of the current season.
It potentially spells the end of the practice of Red Bull sending junior drivers to Japan from Formula 2 as a final evaluation before racing in F1.
Mugen team director Hirokatsu Tanaka refused to comment when approached by Motorsport.com regarding the matter.
A spokesperson for Honda has clarified that its joint F1 junior programme with Red Bull will end after 2024, but declined to comment on Mugen's situation specifically.
Pierre Gasly became the first Red Bull junior to drive for Mugen back in 2017, which also coincided with the team going back to running two cars after a spell of running a single Honda-powered car.
In 2022, Red Bull transferred its backing to the Servus Japan-run Team Goh squad, but after an underwhelming season running Honda junior Ren Sato, the relationship with Team Mugen was revived for 2023 with Liam Lawson joining the team.
Ayumu Iwasa took over Lawson’s seat for 2024 after spending two years racing in Formula 2 and sits fifth in the current standings with a pair of second-place finishes to his name, 22.5 points behind teammate and two-time champion Tomoki Nojiri.
How Iwasa’s relationship with Red Bull will evolve is also unclear, particularly with fellow Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar leading the F2 standings and Arvid Lindblad finishing fourth in his rookie campaign in Formula 3.
Starting in 2023, the relationship between Red Bull and Mugen expanded to cover sponsorship for both cars, with Nojiri becoming a Red Bull athlete.
Red Bull’s individual agreements with Nojiri and Ukyo Sasahara, who drives in Super Formula for TOM’S, are not expected to be affected by the brand’s split with Mugen.
It is understood that Mugen is already exploring options to ensure it can continue to run a second car next year, including canvassing foreign drivers who can bring budget.
Outside funding was required for the team to maintain a two-car operation in 2022 during its temporary separation from Red Bull, with Sasahara only coming on board as Nojiri’s teammate at the last minute for that season.
