Honda is to return to Formula 1 in a formal capacity in 2026 as an engine partner for the Aston Martin team. The company officially pulled out of F1 at the end of 2021 but its engines are still used by the two Red Bull teams and are called Hondas again in 2023. Honda said on Wednesday that F1's pursuit of carbon neutrality by 2030 was the "key factor" behind its decision to re-enter officially. New rules for 2026 will increase the electrical performance of F1 engines. The sport's governing body the FIA is mandating the use of fully sustainable synthetic fuels at the same time. Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe said: "In pursuit of its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, starting in the 2026 season the FIA will mandate the use of 100% carbon-neutral fuel and the deployment of electrical power will be increased significantly by three times from the current regulations. "With this massive increase in electrical power, the key to winning in F1 will be a compact, lightweight, and high-power motor with a high-performance battery that is capable of swiftly handling high power output as well as the energy-management technology. "We believe this know-how gained from this new challenge has the potential to be applied directly to a future mass-production electric vehicle."
What is behind Honda's change of approach?
F1 has used hybrid engines since 2014 but the new rules will make significant changes in their layout. The biggest is the removal of the MGU-H, the part of the hybrid system that recovers energy from the turbo, and a significant increase in the proportion of hybrid power in the engine's power output. Watanabe said: "Currently, the electrical power accounts for 20% or less compared to the internal combustion engine. "But the new regulations require about 50% or more of electrification, which moves even further toward electrification and I believe the technology for electrification will be useful for us in producing vehicles in the future."
The use of carbon-neutral fuels and their integration into the engine, he said, also "matches with Honda's direction". Watanabe said the extension of F1's cost cap to cover engines was also a factor in the decision as it made "long-term and continuous participation in F1 easier".
Honda has won the past two drivers' championships with Red Bull and Max Verstappen and added the constructors' title last season. The pairing is well on course to repeat its title double in 2023. Red Bull has dominated at the start of the season, winning all five races so far. Red Bull has decided to build its own engine for 2026 and has formed a partnership with US giant Ford to invest in and badge the power unit. Aston Martin, who finished seventh in the championship last year, has made a huge step forward in competitiveness in 2023 and lies second in the constructors' championship behind Red Bull before this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix. Their driver Fernando Alonso is third in the drivers' championship, behind Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Perez. Aston Martin's progress has come after a major investment and restructuring program in the past five years that includes the building of a new factory, which is scheduled to open before the end of this month. A new wind tunnel is also under construction and set for completion late in 2024. Watanabe said that Honda and Aston Martin's F1 team "share the same spirit".
Martin Whitmarsh, the group chief executive officer of Aston Martin Performance Technologies, said: "Aston Martin is building a team to win in F1. We have been recruiting the right people and investing in the required facilities and developing the right culture and processes to win. "To partner with a global motorsport titan like Honda is an extremely exciting and important further step for the team. Both organizations share the same relentless ambition to succeed on the track. We are very proud, honored, and grateful to put in place this partnership." Whitmarsh, who was instrumental in bringing about Honda's return to F1 in 2015 when he was chief executive and team principal of McLaren, added that "2026 will require full integration of chassis and power-unit that only a full works team delivers". He added: "It's very clear from what we've seen from Honda and our recent learnings, they have a huge passion, they want to win, that is what they want to do, and that is our goal.
We are already confident this is going be a fantastic partnership for the future." The partnership will mean the end of Aston Martin's arrangement with Mercedes, from whom the team buys a large part of the rear of their car, including the engine, gearbox, and suspension. Whitmarsh admitted that taking on the manufacture of the gearbox and suspension was "a big challenge but an essential one for us in stepping up". Watanabe said that Honda had no plans to supply any other teams "for the moment".
