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Honda’s power unit has propelled Max Verstappen to two successive championships, and Red Bull took the Constructors’ title last season. But the contract between Honda and Red Bull will expire after the 2025 season, and Red Bull will enter the 2026 season in a new partnership with Ford.
However, that does not mean Honda will be absent from the world of F1.
Honda and Aston Martin have announced a working partnership, under which the manufacturer will supply power units to the Silverstone-based F1 team from 2026.
Following Honda’s withdrawal from the F1 grid – which opened the door for a Ford-Red Bull partnership – the Japanese automaker expressed their interest in remaining on the grid when new regulations go into effect for the 2026 campaign. Following that expression of interest, Honda has been linked with several different teams, including Williams and McLaren.
Honda and McLaren have worked together in the past, during the 2015-2017 season, and while the relationship has soured due to reliability issues, there is thought the two organizations could work together on a new power unit from 2026, allowing McLaren to move away from relying on Mercedes for power units. their power.
In its announcement, Aston Martin stated that Honda “[w]poor supply power units to teams from the 2026 season, which complies with the new F1 power unit regulations that will take effect that year. The new regulations will see a significant increase in the deployment of electric power and the use of 100 percent sustainable fuel supplied by AMF1 Team strategic partner, Aramco.”
Lawrence Stroll, Owner and Chief Executive of the Aston Martin F1, welcomed the partnership. “I would like to welcome Honda and Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) to the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One® Team. We share a relentless drive, determination and ambition to succeed on track,” said Stroll. “Honda is a global titan and its success in motorsport is long-standing and truly impressive. I would like to thank Mr Mibe and Mr Watanabe, and the entire team at HRC as we embark on this exciting future together from 2026.”
For Honda, F1’s goal of energy sustainability is a big draw as they return to the grid. “One of the main reasons for our decision to take on a new challenge in F1 is that the world’s top form of racing is striving to become a sustainable racing series, which is in line with the direction Honda is moving towards carbon neutrality, and that will be a platform that will facilitate the development of electrification technologies. us,” said Honda Global CEO Toshihiro Mibe.
“Honda is a company that has a history of growth by taking on challenges and winning world-class races. With the new 2026 regulations, the key to victory will be a compact, lightweight and high-power electric motor with a high-performance battery capable of handling high and fast power output, as well as energy management technology,” added Mibe. “We believe that the technology and knowledge gained from this new challenge has the potential to be directly applied to our future mass-produced electric vehicles, such as electric flagship sports models, and electrification technologies in various fields, including the eVTOL which is currently under research. and development.”
The announcement comes as Aston Martin, who currently rely on Mercedes as their power unit supplier for the AMR23, enjoys a stunning start to the 2023 F1 season. Veteran driver Fernando Alonso has finished third in four of the season’s five races, and his success has propelled the team into second place in the Constructors’ Championship, behind only Red Bull.
While the team dreams of lofty success in the present, Mibe shares the same vision for the future.
“Honda and our new partners, the Aston Martin F1 Team, share the same genuine attitude and determination to win, so from the 2026 season, we will work together and fight for the title as Aston Martin Aramco Honda,” added Mibe.
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of F1, welcomed the partnership and pointed to F1’s steps towards sustainable fuels. “It is great news for Formula One that Honda will be partnering with Aston Martin to supply power units from 2026. It is further proof that our platform and global growth delivers great potential to the brand, and it also shows that our plans to shift to sustainable fuel. in 2026 is the right approach to offer the automotive world alternative solutions to decarbonize the planet,” said Domenicali. “We can all see the incredible commitment Aston Martin has made to our sport and we can’t wait to see this exciting partnership, and I want to congratulate both parties on this exciting news.”
