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Aston Martin says that engaging a factory partner like Honda to create a bespoke power unit for its chassis from 2026 is crucial if they are to become regular championship contenders.
On Wednesday, billionaire Lawrence Stroll was in Tokyo along with Honda’s top management to announce that his Aston Martin team will use Honda power from 2026.
Ditching the power of Mercedes, Aston Martin will now need to design and build its own gearbox and rear suspension, two items it previously bought from Silver Arrows.
READ MORE: Honda to return to full-scale F1 in 2026 by joining forces with Aston Martin
It will be the final step in a move away from Mercedes, as it had planned to stop renting out its wind tunnel to move into its own state-of-the-art facility due to open next year.
Aston Martin believes that in order to be successful, especially when the new engine regulations are introduced in 2026, a close partnership with an engine manufacturer that is fully focused on integrating its power unit seamlessly into your car is essential.
“Aston Martin is building a team to win in Formula 1,” says Martin Whitmarsh, CEO of Aston Martin Performance Technologies. “Over the last 18 months, I think we’ve been recruiting the right people, investing in the required facilities, and developing the right culture and processes to win.
“We know that we need strong alliances. We were delighted to have Cognizant and Aramco join us. Today, it is a great opportunity to partner with a global motorsport titan like Honda as a works team. This is an extremely exciting and important further step for the team.
ANALYSIS: How and why Honda and Aston Martin teamed up for 2026
“Both organizations share the same mutual drive, determination and relentless ambition to succeed on the right track. We have seen Honda for many years achieve great success. We are still building. We are very proud, very grateful, very honored to start this association.
“It is clear to us and to Honda that the 2026 F1 regulations will require the full integration of the chassis and PU that only a full works-team relationship offers. Having this association puts us in a position to compete for championships.
“It’s clear from everything we’ve seen of Honda in the past, from our recent learnings, from our conversation over the last few weeks. They have a great passion, they are runners, they want to win. That’s what they’re in this sport for and that’s fantastic because that’s exactly our goal.”
Breaking News: Aston Martin to switch to Honda power from 2026
Whitmarsh praised the job Mercedes have done for them, but admitted that if they want to beat the Silver Arrows consistently they have to do it alone.
“Mercedes has been a great partner and continues to be,” said Whitmarsh. “They are in it to win and clearly we are here to win as well. In short, there is a certain incompatibility in these two missions and that is why we have made the decision.
“The first and obvious example was that we currently share a wind tunnel with them. We have to spend a lot of money to build our own wind tunnel, which is only four or five miles from the wind tunnel, a pretty adequate one, that we use.
“The nature of F1 is that if you want to win, it means beating Mercedes and it is extremely difficult to beat an organization as good as Mercedes if you depend on them for intellectual property, facilities and components.
“Clearly, we are here to beat them. And that means we have to be self-sufficient.”
Aston Martin is currently second in the constructors’ championship with 102 points, six clear of supplier Mercedes.
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