Honda F1 collab looking increasingly promising with Aston Martin

Honda's official return to F1 looks increasingly promising as links with Aston Martin are being reported. The Japanese manufacturer has registered its interest in the new engine regulation changes for 2026. With the advent of the new rules, we may see the manufacturer signing a works deal with Aston Martin.

According to The Race Media, Honda will commit to these new regulations with Aston Martin tipped to be its partner. The Silverstone team currently is a customer of the Mercedes team.

However, to accomplish the aspirations of team owner Lawrence Stroll to compete for the world championship, it has to move on to a works deal.

After Red Bull's announcement to partner with Ford for the 2026 F1 season, Honda was left without a customer for the new regulations. McLaren and Williams were previously linked with the Japanese engine supplier and McLaren even reached out during the winter, but nothing was announced.

According to reports, Honda's senior management seems to lean towards the partnership with Aston Martin. The Silverstone team's Performance Technologies CEO Martin Whitmarsh could play a pivotal role in brokering the deal.

Whitmarsh previously oversaw the partnership between Honda and McLaren in 2015, however, he left the ill-fated collaboration before its disastrous end.

It would be a reunion for the two parties as they previously partnered in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Aston Martin then competed in F1 as Jordan GP and was powered by the Mugen-Honda engines. They won multiple races during the V10 era and were the surprise title contenders in the 1999 season.

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Why did Honda leave F1?

F1 Grand Prix of Japan - Practice

Honda officially quit F1 at the end of 2021, as the then-CEO Takahiro Hachigo announced that it felt the need to prioritize zero-emissions technology for its automotive division.

This decision coincided with the Red Bull-Honda partnership winning the 2021 drivers' world championship, followed by a dominant season next year.

After the 2021 season, they kept supplying engines to Red Bull and AlphaTuari under the rebadged Red Bull Power Trains label. This deal continues until the end of 2025.

After leaving F1, the Japanese manufacturer, now under new CEO Toshihiro Mibe, had second thoughts. They began rethinking their decision as Red Bull won both championships in 2022 and were further enticed by the new engine regulations for 2026.

Seiji Kuraishi, Honda Chairman (in the center), Grand Prix of Bahrain 2023

The new rules around sustainable fuels and increased electrical output strengthened Honda's case to remain in the sport. Thus the team registered an interest as an engine supplier for the 2026 season. It also has set up a small team that is working on the regulations.

Meanwhile, Honda's indecision allowed Red Bull to build its own engine division with a commercial partnership with Ford. The American giant will also provide minor technical collaboration.