Aston Martin made the worst kept secret (of the week) official – their partnership with Honda from 2026 – announcing to their fans the latest development in billionaire Lawrence Strroll’s mega project to build his son Lance a championship-winning Formula 1 team.
Honda’s bizarre in-out-in-out policy of tackling F1 is confounding, as a previous management regime only recently opted out and to sell up to Red Bull’s powertrains operation, only for those decision makers to be ousted recently, their replacement team are keen to revive their F1 adventures yet again.
In the eighties and nineties Honda were a hugely successful F1 engine supplier to McLaren and Williams, winning constructors’ titles in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991 with the two teams. They opted to go alone at one point, as a works team but never achieved the success they aimed for.
At the end of 2008 they pulled the plug on their team, sold it for a pound to Ross Brawn, who bolted a Mercedes engine to it (instead of a quite handy Honda piece of kit) and went on to win the title and sellit on to Mercedes. And the rest, as they say, is history.
In the wake of the umpteenth f1 turnaround by Honda, Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack wrote in an email to I/AM members: “We’re excited to share the big news that from 2026, when the new F1 power unit rules come into play, we will enter a works partnership with Honda.
This is a hugely important step on our journey to becoming a regular championship contender. Like us, Honda are racers. They have a proven track record of success in motorsport and a works partnership with them will allow us to exploit every single area of our car.
All the pieces of the puzzle are coming together: we’re days away from moving into our new factory, we have a hugely talented driver line-up and workforce, and we’re now set to join forces with the manufacturer of the championship-winning engine for the past two seasons.
We should not, however, forget our current power unit supplier Mercedes. They have played a key role in our journey and will continue to do so over the next few years as we work towards our ambitious goals.
There is, of course, another piece of the puzzle and that is you. Your passionate support is what drives us on. You’re with us on this journey, and I hope you are as excited as I am for what’s to come.
Offical Aston Martin Honda Press Release
AMF1 Team has today announced it is entering into a works partnership with Honda from 2026.
The Japanese manufacturer will supply power units to the team from the 2026 season, which are compliant with the new F1 power unit regulations that will come into force that year.
The new regulations will see a significant increase in the deployment of electrical power and the use of 100 per cent sustainable fuel supplied by AMF1 Team strategic partner Aramco.
Lawrence Stroll, Executive Chairman, AMF1 Team, said: “I would like to welcome Honda and Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) to the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One®Team. 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. I would like to thank Mr Mibe and Mr Watanabe, and the whole team at HRC as we embark on this exciting future together from 2026.”
Honda is a company that has a history of growing by taking on challenges
Toshihiro Mibe, Global CEO, Honda, said: “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 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.
“We believe that the technologies and know-how gained from this new challenge can potentially be applied directly to our future mass production electric vehicles, such as an electric flagship sports model, and electrification technologies in various areas, including eVTOL which is currently under research and development.
“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.
“Honda has the utmost respect for the FIA, which made a bold decision to introduce these new and challenging regulations to ensure the sustainability of both racing activities and the global environment, and for the Formula One Group, which has been enhancing the brand value of F1 and ensuring F1’s evolvement as the most prestigious automobile racing in the world.”
Whitmarsh: We will establish sustainable operational structures
Martin Whitmarsh, Group CEO, Aston Martin Performance Technologies, said: “I have been fortunate in my career to work with Honda over the years and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with HRC and the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team from 2026.
“The new 2026 F1 power unit regulations are a huge and important change but one which we are confident we can navigate successfully together. Jointly with our strategic partner Aramco, we can look forward to open collaboration towards a common goal. 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.
“Finally, I would like to pay tribute to our current power unit supplier who we will continue to partner with for the next few seasons.”
Domenicali: We all see the incredible commitment Aston Martin has made
Koji Watanabe, President, Honda Racing Corporation, said: “In the midst of major changes in our business and the motorsports environment leading toward the transition to a carbon neutral society, we have re-established HRC as an optimal platform to sustain and further evolve motorsport activities as a Honda strength.
“We will establish sustainable operational structures for our racing activities and continue to deliver more dreams and excitement for motorsports fans all around the world.”
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO, Formula One, said: “It is great news for Formula One that Honda will partner with Aston Martin to supply power units from 2026. This is further evidence that our global platform and growth provides brands with huge potential, and it also shows that our plans to move to sustainable fuels in 2026 is the right approach to offer the automotive world alternative solutions to decarbonise the planet.
“We can all see the incredible commitment Aston Martin has made to our sport and we can’t wait to see the exciting partnership in action, and I want to congratulate both parties on this exciting news.”