Honda will return to Formula One as a full-blown engine manufacturer powering Aston Martin s title ambitions when the sport enters a new era in 2026, the Japanese carmaker announced on Wednesday.
The new works partnership will transform Aston Martin from Silverstone-based Aston Martin into Honda's sole focus on the starting grid, from their current position as one of four teams with Mercedes engines.
It is very, very difficult to win consistently champions without a full works relationship, which is why we ve made this decision, said Martin s Group CEO, Martin Whitmarsh.
Honda Racing Corporation HRC president Koji Watanabe said the company had no plans to supply power units to other teams.
The Honda team has officially pulled out of Formula One in 2021 but has been able to provide engines to reigning world champions Red Bull, who have already announced a deal with Ford from 2026 under a technical support arrangement.
The CEO Toshihiro Mibe said that the 2026 regulations and Formula One's push for sustainability were in line with Honda's carbon neutrality goals.
The key for winning will be a compact, light-weight, and high-power electric motor with a high-performance battery capable of handling high and rapid power output, as well as energy management technology, he said.
We believe that the technology and know-how gained from this new challenge can be applied directly to our future mass production electric vehicles, such as an electric flagship sports vehicle, and electrification technologies in various areas. Formula One's 2026 power unit will use 100% sustainable fuels and have a larger electrical component, aiming to be carbon neutral by 2030.
Aston Martin, based in Silverstone, is third in the championship after five of 22 races, with Spaniard Fernando Alonso taking fourth place.
Stroll has invested heavily, building a new factory and wind tunnel and recruiting top staff from rival teams, while also attracting significant title sponsorship from Cognizant and Saudi Aramco.
Aston Martin (Aramco Cognizant) is building a team to win in Formula One, said former McLaren principal Whitmarsh, who was instrumental in bringing Honda back to that team in 2015 but left before the ill-fated partnership started.
The team is extremely excited and important further step.
It s clear to us and Honda that the 2026 Formula One regulations will require the full integration of the chassis and PU power unit that only a full works team relationship delivers.
We have a chance to compete for championships because of this partnership, he said. From 2026, another engine manufacturer would be Renault-owned Alpine, Audi, Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains and Red Bull Ford.
The break from Mercedes will mean Aston Martin have to built their own gearboxes and rear suspension, but Whitmarsh said that was all part of growing up as a team and becoming truly independent.
You set out to win in Formula One and that means beating existing partners and in order to do that we ve got to be independent, he said.
We re-building great facilities and progressively pulling away from our dependence on Mercedes-Benz. Whitmarsh said the team would continue to compete as Aston Martin until 2026.