Back in 2020, Honda announced that it will withdraw from Formula 1 to focus on developing customer-focused electric vehicles. Now, in 2026, Honda has signed Aston Martin became its working group on a renewed interest in F1 racing as the sport transitions into a new era of power unit technology. So what happened?
A lot has changed in Honda’s original decision to leave F1, but one of the big problems is that the engine technology is now outdated. The current hybrid power units of F1 are Strong, but they are by no means the pinnacle of evolving technology, especially when it comes to an increasingly electrified future. Honestly, Honda doesn’t make a lot of money pouring millions of dollars into developing a more competitive F1 engine every year if it doesn’t provide any correlation with the cars Honda can sell. on the road.
A lot happened after Honda decided to leave. First, Red Bull asked Honda to continue to engage in the sport, but in a more marginal sense: Honda would supply Red Bull with PU parts, but the assembly, development, and maintenance of the parts. That totally depends on the group.
As a result, F1 chose to freeze engine development. That means no power unit supplier has to spend tons of money developing better PUs based on the current set of regulations; they just keep doing them. And if Red Bull is going to take care of most of the assembly and maintenance work, it makes sense for Honda to continue working with the team through the end of the 2025 season. F1 then announced that it would impose a cost cap that all teams would have to adhere to, meaning that no single PU team or supplier would be able to pour more money into development than others. other.
However, the big change came with the birth of F1 PU regulation 2026 coming and its efforts to become carbon neutral by 2030.
By 2026, F1’s PU will include a 1.6-litre V6 turbocharged internal combustion engine the motor is complemented by a more powerful set of electric motors. The electric motors will deliver three times more power than current, and the internal combustion engines will be powered by 100% carbon-neutral fuel. Those changes have caught Honda’s attention and will most likely be of interest to them, as investing in the development of those newer engines will provide a better fit for development. of road cars.
That being said, Honda doesn’t feel that they’ll be catching up when it comes to the pitch with vengeance in 2026.
Koji Watanabe, President of Honda Racing Corporation, highlighted the fact that Honda was involved in the rotation of engineers during a press conference with the media prior to Aston Martin’s official announcement. Every three to five years, road car engineers are rotated into motor sport engineering as a way for employees to hone their skills and get people involved in projects they are passionate about. passionate about. He noted that it would be necessary to attract skilled engineers and expertise to further develop the project and ensure its success — but shortly after Honda announced its intention to supply power units for 2026, it has already begun developing the necessary technology.
As it stands, Watanabe notes that early prototypes of both the internal combustion engine and electric motor exist and are undergoing individual testing to verify the success of each component. The two parts of the overall F1 PU will be combined next year to begin rigorous testing before 2026.
