Honda is preparing to launch a “full-scale return” to Formula 1 as the power unit supplier to Aston Martin starting from 2026 – after the latter’s ongoing customer deal with Mercedes comes to an end.
Prior to its short-lived exit from motorsport’s elite, as some of you may already know, Honda had been a key partner to Red Bull Racing; with many attributing both reigning two-time world champion Max Verstappen and the team as a whole’s recent success to the Japanese automaker’s technical prowess.
But with Red Bull Racing now forging ahead to establish an in-house powertrain division with yet another returning giant in Ford – after its power unit support deal with Honda finishes up in 2025, of course – there’s never been a better time to link up with the newly-competitive Aston Martin.
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“One of the key reasons for our decision to take up the new challenge in F1 is that the world’s pinnacle form of racing is striving to become a sustainable racing series, which is in line with the direction Honda is aiming toward carbon neutrality, and it will become a platform which will facilitate the development of our electrification technologies,” said Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe (via Formula 1).
“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 for winning will be a compact, lightweight, and high-power electric motor with a high-performance battery capable of handling high and swift power output, as well as the energy management technology.”
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Mibe added: “Honda and our new partner, the Aston Martin F1 Team, share the same sincere attitude and determination to win, so starting with the 2026 season, we will work together and strive for the Championship title as Aston Martin Aramco Honda.
“We share a mutual drive, determination, and relentless ambition to succeed on track. Honda is a global titan and its success in motorsport is longstanding and incredibly impressive,” said Lawrence Stroll, billionaire owner of Aston Martin and father to team driver Lance Stroll.
“Our future works partnership with Honda is one of the last parts of the jigsaw puzzle slotting into place for Aston Martin’s ambitious plans in Formula 1,” added Aston Martin Performance Technologies CEO Martin Whitmarsh.
Could this mean a world title for Aston Martin?
