Honda aims for F1 title with Aston Martin from 2026
Honda says it is aiming for victory in the Formula 1 World Championship when it officially returns in 2026, together with its partner Aston Martin.
From 2026, Honda will transfer its factory engine contract to Aston Martin. Honda had decided to withdraw from F1 in 2021, which led Red Bull to take over its engines in-house, and to partner with Ford for 2026. The Japanese brand was forced to look for a new factory partner when it reversed its decision to exit.
After being approached by several candidates, Honda was impressed by the ambition of Aston Martin’s owner, Lawrence Stroll. In an exclusive interview with Autosport, the president of Honda Racing Corporation, Koji Watanabe, displays his ambitions with his new partner.
» Becoming world champion starting in 2026. We know it will be very difficult, but we need good goals to do our best with Aston Martin. That is why, with Stroll and Toshihiro Mibe [CEO and President of Honda], we have set ourselves the goal of aiming only for the world championship that year. In reality, it’s not that easy.
We are probably missing something [right now], but we need to discuss it. From Aston Martin’s point of view, what is missing on Honda’s side is also what is missing on Aston Martin’s side. It is an honest conversation to work together to become a top team.
An ambitious project
Watanabe emphasizes Aston Martin’s work, especially with the team’s state-of-the-art facilities in Silverstone, for him, it is a key indicator of the seriousness of the Canadian businessman in achieving his goals.
« Honda was very impressed by Mr. Stroll’s strong passion and his strong leadership in the fight for the World Championship in 2026. They are investing a lot of money to build the factory in Silverstone. We paid them a visit to see the factory under construction.
Several times, we have meetings with Martin Withmarsh and Mike Krack, the management team. They are very open, and the whole team works in the same direction. It is a united team. This is a very good image for us. They also think that Honda is a good partner to become world champion.
We have already set up a technical working team as well as a board meeting to discuss some important issues that we may be able to improve.
Last week, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso announced that he would stay with the team in the Honda era, at least until 2026.
