Honda keeping 'a close eye' on F1 as multiple teams approach Japanese engine maker for 2026 partnership

Honda claim they are keeping a 'close eye' on F1 as multiple teams have reportedly approached the Japanese power unit suppliers with regards to the upcoming 2026 regulations. The automotive giants have been highly successful with Red Bull, winning consecutive titles in 2021 and 2022.

Honda officially left the sport at the end of the 2021 season, with Max Verstappen giving them an impressive parting gift with his first drivers' title. However, Honda still supply the Austrian team with their power units, which helped the Dutchman win yet another title in 2022.

Red Bull have now chosen to go with Ford as their power unit supplier from 2026 onwards, with the sport set to change its power unit regulations in a major way. Red Bull's decision to leave Honda has now given other teams the chance to pair up with the Japanese company.

With F1 going in a direction that is in line with Honda's vision, the Japanese manufacturer is keeping a close eye on F1. Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe said of the company's status:

“Formula 1 is greatly shifting towards electrification. Carbon neutrality is our corporate-wide target at Honda. So, we think that Formula 1’s future direction is in line with our target. That is why we have decided to register as a manufacturer of a power unit. We are curious about where Formula 1 is going, being the top racing category, and how is that going to look with more electrification happening? We would like to keep a very close eye on that.”

The first time F1 snubbed Andretti

There could be a plethora of changes to F1 from the 2026 season as Mario Andretti hopes to become F1's latest entrant but has faced backlash from other teams regarding his team's potential future in the sport. However, this isn't the first time the sport has snubbed the Andretti name.

Mario Andretti's son, Michael Andretti, could have made his debut in the sport at the 1986 F1 Canadian GP. The American Haas team (unrelated to the one on the grid today) needed a replacement following Patrick Tambay's crash during the warmup session.

Michael Andretti was the perfect man for the occasion, having won the Formula Super Vee and Formula Mondial series. At the time, Andretti was driving in the highly-esteemed CART series and could easily have been the man to replace Tambay in Canada.

However, F1's former governing body, the FISA, denied Andretti a super license, which is needed to enter the sport. While the FIA currently has a points-based system that dictates who will be issued a super license, things were more informal back then.

Allen Berg, a less experienced Canadian driver, ended up replacing Tambay that weekend, leading to heartbreak for Mario Andretti's son.

Michael Andretti had to wait seven more years for a debut with McLaren. It remains to be seen if we will see the Andretti name in the sport in 2026.