Aston Martin is set to become Honda’s official factory partner in 2026, with the Japanese manufacturer officially pledged its long-term future to Formula 1.
Honda first announced its exit from Formula 1 in 2020 and officially withdrew from the championship after helping Max Verstappen to clinch his first title the following year.
However, the company continued to supply power units to Red Bull and continues to do so under a supply deal that now runs through the end of the 2025 season.
However, Honda’s future beyond that was unclear as the company faced uncertainty about other options on the grid following Red Bull’s decision to work with Ford for its own powertrains from 2026.
In addition, there was heated debate among Honda’s senior management over whether or not to make a formal return to Formula 1 so soon after leaving.
However, Aston Martin’s impressive strides into Formula 1 and the fact that the company is a free agent following the end of its current customer deal with Mercedes in 2025 proved an ideal candidate for a merger.
A deal has now been struck that will result in Aston Martin becoming Honda’s official manufacturer team in Formula 1.
Martin Whitmarsh, Group CEO of Aston Martin Performance Technologies, said: “Our future factory partnership with Honda is one of the final pieces of the puzzle that is coming together for Aston Martin’s ambitious plans in Formula 1.”
Honda says its decision to get involved in Formula 1 so soon after exiting it was due to the increased sustainability ambitions of Grand Prix racing.
Not only has Formula 1 committed to being carbon neutral by 2030, but it is transitioning to fully sustainable fuels from 2026, when new power units will also be powered with a larger share of electric energy.
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR23
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Toshihiro Mibe, Global CEO of Honda, said: “One of the main reasons behind our decision to take on the new challenge in Formula 1 is that the world’s highest form of racing strives to become a sustainable racing series, which is in line with the Formula 1 is here.” Honda is aiming for carbon neutrality and becoming a platform that facilitates the development of our electrification technologies.
“We believe that the technologies and know-how gained from this new challenge can potentially be directly applied to our future mass-produced electric vehicles, such as a flagship electric sport model, and to electrification technologies in various areas, including eVTOL, which is currently being explored will.” and development.”
Having clinched the world title with Red Bull in 2021 and 2022 and currently leading the standings this year, Honda is clear that it is partnering with Aston Martin for more championships.
Koji Watanabe, President of Honda Racing Corporation, said: “They are currently working on various measures to strengthen the team and aim for the F1 championship title.”
“Because they gave our F1 powertrain technology high marks and we can count on their genuine attitude and also their strong passion for victory, we decided to work together and aim for the championship title as Aston Martin Honda.”
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