F1 News: Honda Confirms Partnership With Aston Martin for 2026

In response to the FIA's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, Honda has officially returned to F1 in 2023 and is partnering with Aston Martin's F1 team

Honda, renowned for its prowess in Formula 1 racing, has officially returned to the sport in 2023 with Aston Martin, despite officially stepping away at the close of 2021. This decision has come in light of the FIA's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, which Honda recognizes as a key determinant of their renewed commitment.

The shift in Honda's participation comes ahead of the new F1 regulations set for 2026, which will enhance the electrical efficiency of F1 engines significantly. As Koji Watanabe, the president of Honda Racing Corporation, eloquently put it: 

"In pursuit of its goal in 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."

Honda’s role in F1 has been significant since 2014 when hybrid engines were introduced. With the FIA’s new regulations, Honda is making a shift towards more electrified solutions. According to Watanabe, the electrical power requirement will move from the current 20% or less to about 50% or more, signifying a massive step towards electrification. Honda believes that the technology gleaned from these new rules can be applied to mass-produced electric vehicles in the future.

With F1’s cost cap now covering engines, long-term and continuous participation in F1 becomes more manageable. This fact was not lost on Watanabe, who highlighted the shared spirit between Honda and Aston Martin's F1 team.

Martin Whitmarsh, CEO of Aston Martin Performance Technologies, expressed his excitement about the partnership, stating that both organizations share the same relentless ambition to succeed on track. 

"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 a global motorsport titan like Honda is an extremely exciting and important further step for the team. Both organisations share the same relentless ambition to succeed on track. We are very proud, honoured and grateful to put in place this partnership."

This partnership means the conclusion of Aston Martin's relationship with Mercedes, leading to Aston Martin manufacturing gearbox and suspension components. Whitmarsh acknowledges the challenge but deems it a necessary step up.

"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."

Even with the veteran driver Fernando Alonso’s future uncertain given his age, Whitmarsh expressed hope for Alonso’s continued presence. Whitmarsh stated:

"Honda are a very great partner for us. Fernando sees that. Probably 2026 is outside his planning horizon at the moment. We have to give him a car that can consistently win races.

"We have made a reasonable step forward. We are not yet where we need to be but we will get stronger. We will have a discussion before 2026, I'm sure, about where Fernando's future lies.

"I hope he'll be around for a number of years and it'd be great if he's as fit and competitive as he is today. Then it would be fantastic to have him in the car in 2026 as well."

In the push for carbon neutrality, Honda's decision to re-enter the F1 world signifies a key turning point in the sport and the team, making it a fascinating narrative to follow in the coming years.