Japanese manufacturer Honda will launch a full-scale return to Formula 1 in 2026 as Aston Martin’s power unit supplier. Honda left F1 at the end of 2021, after a seven-year stint in the sport that culminated in a World Championship driver win through Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
They continued their relationship with Red Bull through a power unit support deal, which will still run until the end of 2025, and won both championships in 2022.
ANALYSIS: How and why Honda and Aston Martin teamed up for 2026
When F1 introduced its new engine regulations for 2026, Honda was enticed by the requirement to use 100% sustainable fuels and the greater focus on electric power, as it offered synergies with the goals of the automotive company.
But with Red Bull going its own way with an in-house power unit division, aided by its new partner, American giant Ford, Honda had to look elsewhere and struck a deal with Aston Martin, which was interested in finding a construction partner. develop a custom engine for the team.
Mercedes, which has been a partner of the Silverstone-based team since 2009, will continue to supply Aston Martin with power units, plus the gearbox and rear suspension, until the end of 2025.
Honda to join forces with Aston Martin
“One of the key reasons for our decision to take on the new challenge of F1 is that the world’s top form of racing is striving to become a sustainable racing series, which is in line with the management that Honda is aiming for carbon neutrality, and will become a platform that will facilitate the development of our electrification technologies,” said Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe.
“Honda is a company that has a history of growing by taking on challenges and winning world-class races. With the new 2026 regulations, the key to winning will be a compact, lightweight, high-power electric motor with a capable high-performance battery of managing high and fast power, as well as energy management technology.
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“We believe that the technologies and knowledge gained from this new challenge can potentially be directly applied to our future mass-production electric vehicles, such as an electric flagship sports model, and electrification technologies in a number of areas, including eVTOL, which is currently under investigation.and development.
“Honda and our new partner, the Aston Martin F1 Team, share the same sincere attitude and determination to win, so from the 2026 season, we will work together and fight for the championship title as Aston Martin Aramco Honda.
“Honda has the utmost respect for the FIA, which took the bold decision to introduce these challenging new regulations to ensure the sustainability of both racing activities and the global environment, and the Formula 1 Group, which has has been enhancing the value of the F1 brand and ensuring the evolution of F1 as the most prestigious motor race in the world.”
Aston Martin F1 team owner Lawrence Stroll has described Honda as a global titan
Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll said: “We share a relentless drive, determination and ambition to succeed on the road. Honda is a global titan and its success in motorsport is long-standing and it’s incredibly impressive.”
Koji Watanabe, president of Honda Racing Corporation, Honda’s racing division that will lead the project, added: “Amidst major changes in our business and the motorsports environment leading to the transition to a carbon neutral society, we have once again established HRC as an optimal platform to maintain and further evolve motorsports activities as Honda’s strength. We will establish sustainable operating structures for our racing activities and continue to deliver more dreams and excitement for motorsports fans around the world.”
READ MORE: ‘It’s the next revolution’: Chief Technical Officer Pat Symonds explains why F1 is leading the push for sustainable fuels
Aston Martin Performance Technologies Group Managing Director Martin Whitmarsh added: “The new F1 2026 power unit regulations are a huge and important change, but one that we are confident we can successfully navigate together. Together with the our strategic partner Aramco, we can hope to open the collaboration towards a common goal.
“Our future partnership with Honda is one of the final pieces of the puzzle that fits Aston Martin’s ambitious plans in Formula 1. Finally, I would like to pay tribute to our current power unit supplier with whom we will continue associating us for the coming seasons.”
Watanabe also said Honda, which will enter its fifth stint in F1, has no plans to supply power units to “any other party” other than Aston Martin from 2026 onwards.
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Breaking news: Aston Martin to switch to Honda Power from 2026
