Honda to return to full-scale F1 in 2026 by joining forces with Aston Martin

Japanese manufacturer Honda will launch a full-scale return to Formula 1 in 2026 as the supplier of Aston Martin’s works power unit. Honda left F1 at the end of 2021, after a seven-year tenure in the sport that culminated in a World Drivers’ Championship victory through Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

They continued their relationship with Red Bull through a power unit support deal, which will remain in place until the end of 2025, and they won both championships in 2022.

ANALYSIS: How and why Honda and Aston Martin teamed up for 2026

When F1 presented its new engine regulations by 2026, Honda was attracted by the requirement to use 100% sustainable fuels and the increased focus on electric power, as it generated synergies with the objectives of the auto company.

But with Red Bull going its own way with an in-house power unit division, with the help of its new partner, US auto giant Ford, Honda had to look elsewhere and signed a deal with Aston Martin, which was interested in find an official partner. Develop an engine tailored to the team.

Mercedes, which has been a partner of the Silverstone-based team since 2009, will continue to supply Aston Martin with power units, in addition to the gearbox and rear suspension, until the end of 2025.

“One of the key reasons for our decision to accept the new challenge of F1 is that the most important form of racing in the world strives to become a sustainable racing series, which is in line with the direction that Honda is taking. moving towards carbon neutrality, and it 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-output electric motor with a high-performance battery capable of handling high and fast power output, as well as energy management technology.

SEE: What are sustainable fuels, how are they made and how could it affect you?

“We believe that the technologies and insights gained from this new challenge can potentially be directly applied to our future mass-production electric vehicles, such as an electric flagship sports car and electrification technologies in several 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 made the bold decision to introduce these challenging new regulations to ensure the sustainability of both racing activities and the global environment, and for the Formula 1 Group, which has been improving the value of the F1 brand and ensuring the evolution of F1 as the most prestigious motorsport race in the world”.

Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll said: “We share a mutual drive, determination and unrelenting ambition to succeed on the track. Honda is a global titan and its success in motorsport is long-standing and incredibly impressive.”

Koji Watanabe, President of Honda Racing Corporation, the racing division of Honda that will run the project, added: “Amid major changes to our business and motorsports environment leading to the transition to a carbon neutral society , we have re-established HRC as an optimal platform to sustain and further develop motorsport activities as a strength of Honda. We will establish sustainable operating structures for our racing activities and continue to bring more dreams and excitement to motorsports fans around the world.”

READ MORE: ‘It’s the next revolution’: Chief technology officer Pat Symonds explains why Formula 1 is leading the drive for sustainable fuels

Aston Martin Performance Technologies Group CEO Martin Whitmarsh added: “The new 2026 F1 power unit regulations are a huge and important change, but we are confident we can successfully navigate together. Together with our strategic partner Aramco, we can look forward to open collaboration towards a common goal.

“Our future work partnership with Honda is one of the last pieces of the puzzle that fits into 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 to partner. for the next seasons.

Watanabe also said Honda, which is entering its fifth stint in F1, has no plans to supply power units to “anyone else” other than Aston Martin from 2026.