F1: Honda ready to return to front row as Aston Martin engine supplier
onda will return to Formula 1 as a full-time engine supplier for Aston Martin in 2026.
The Japanese company officially quit the sport after Max Verstappen’s maiden title win of 2021, but have continued to supply power units for Red Bull ever since.
But on Wednesday morning Honda announced it would return as a full engine partner when new rules come into play for 2026 which would dramatically increase the electric performance of an F1 engine.
Honda’s agreement to supply power units to Red Bull expires at the end of 2025 when Red Bull becomes a full-fledged engine manufacturer.
Martin Whitmarsh, Group CEO of Aston Martin Performance Technologies, said: “Aston Martin is building a team to win in F1. We recruited the right people, invested in the necessary facilities and developed the right culture and processes to win.
“Our future working partnership with Honda is one of the final pieces of the jigsaw falling into place for Aston Martin’s ambitious plans in Formula 1. Partnering with a global motorsport titan like Honda is another step extremely exciting and important for the team.”
Meanwhile, Honda Racing Corporation President Koji Watanabe said of the 2026 rule changes: “We believe that this know-how acquired through this new challenge has the potential to be applied directly to a future standard electric vehicle.
“The new regulations require around 50% or more electrification, which goes even further towards electrification and I think the electrification technology will be useful to us in vehicle production in the future.”
Aston Martin was the revelation of this season. After finishing seventh in the Constructors’ Championship last year, the team is the best of the rest behind Red Bull, who have made huge progress over the winter. Fernando Alonso is currently third in the drivers standings after several podiums.
standard Sport
