Honda has confirmed that it will make a full scale return to Formula 1 with Aston Martin in 2026.
Leaving and Returning
Honda left F1 at the end of the 2021 season after a seven year stay culminating in a Drivers Championship with Max Verstappen and Redbull. Although Honda had left, they had loaned the Power Unit IP to Redbull, who ran it under their Powertrain division.
The Japanese Manufacturer increased there sponsorship with Redbull with the company name returning to the cars, during the season. With the increased coverage on the Redbull and Alpha Tauri cars, there was speculation that Honda may be looking to return to F1.
Redbull Moves On
From the outside it looked as though Honda would return to partner with Redbull, however this idea was firmly ended when Redbull announced a new partnership with Ford from 2026. Closing the door on renewing their partnership with Redbull.
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Honda take on Aston Martin
With Redbull’s decision to partner with Ford, Honda did not have many options left, however Aston Martin, who currently use Mercedes power units, stepped up to agree a full works deal with the famous Manufacturer from 2026.
The partnership will start at the start of the 2026 season, with Aston Martin continuing to use Mercedes power units, Gearbox and Rear Suspension until the end of 2025. 2026 marks the beginning of the new Power Unit regulations which will use 100% bio-fuel and a larger focus on electrical power.
“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.”
Lawrence Stroll on Aston Martin Partnering with Honda from 2026
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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.
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe