Honda leaves door open for Max Verstappen amid Aston Martin rumors
Koji Watanabe laid out his hopes to reunite Honda with Max Verstappen in the near future after parting ways with Red Bull in 2026.
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HRC President Koji Watanabe and Max Verstappen (via Red Bull)
Honda is all set to part ways with Red Bull in the 2026 season as they partner with Ford to create new power units. The Japanese giant will also cease their deal with Red Bull’s sister team RB in the coming season. However, Honda has bagged a deal with Aston Martin as Lawrence Stroll continues his pursuit of taking his team to the top level. Now, the automobile manufacturer has talked about the possibility of signing Max Verstappen in the near future.
Max Verstappen excelled in performances partly due to Honda’s power unit in the Red Bull chassis. Now, Milton Keynes is struggling to score well despite a similar engine from the Japanese giant. On the other hand, Lawrence Stroll has signed not only a Honda power unit deal but also signed Adrian Newey to gain speed in the coming season. Honda Racing’s President Koji Watanabe talked highly of Verstappen and wished to reunite with the Dutchman in the coming season.
Koji Watanabe points out that Honda is doing everything it can to help Max Verstappen achieve his fifth title this year despite the massive struggles. The Japanese automobile giant will then immediately shift their focus to their deal with Aston Martin in the coming season. Watanabe laid out his hopes to one day reunite Verstappen with Honda and return to achieving great success under the 27-year-old.
First of all, we are doing everything we can to help him get his fifth World title this year. And after that, our focus is on our partnership with Aston Martin. But I must honestly say that I hope that one day an opportunity will present itself again for Honda to work with Max Verstappen. I sincerely hope so.
Koji Watanabe told De Telegraaf
Watanabe revealed that he had extended conversations with Verstappen about a possible reunion in the future. The Japanese insisted that the Dutchman remain positive about Honda’s attitude and mentality regarding development in Formula 1. As such, a potential pairing between the two entities would not be impossible in the coming years. The 83-year-old emphasized that the Dutchman had great relations with the Honda engineers, especially due to his open communication with them.
I have spoken to him many times and he has always been positive about our attitude and mentality. Max is also very communicative towards the Honda engineers. He talks to them clearly and that makes the engineers become fans of him and very dedicated.
Koji Watanabe added
Koji Watanabe declares ‘deep respect’ for Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen is famous for his cold and straightforward attitude on and off the track. This trait of Verstappen also makes him less liked by a lot of people on the grid. Still, the Dutchman doesn’t care about others’ opinions of him and continues to race hard on the track. Koji Watanabe asserted that this trait set the 27-year-old apart from other drivers.
Watanabe reckoned that many people thought of Verstappen only as a sportsman. However, the Japanese held a deep sense of respect for the 27-year-old as a person and not only as a driver. The 83-year-old reflected on Honda’s successful partnership with the reigning world champion and recalled the latter’s past success. HRC’s President recounted that the four-time champion’s first win in Austria in 2019, with Honda and him pointing out Honda’s logo, made the event even more special.
People often see the sportsman, but also for the person Max I have deep respect. The first thing that comes to my mind is still Max’s first win in 2019 in Austria. And especially that when he pointed to the Honda logo on his chest on the podium. That gave all our staff so much joy and pride.
Koji Watanabe noted
Max Verstappen has a deal with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season. However, Aston Martin has allegedly provided a $1.2 billion deal to Verstappen, which he might take up. Time will tell if a Honda-Verstappen reunion is set to happen in the future or not. But for now, the Dutchman will focus on improving performance for the final year of the ground-effect era.
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