Honda eyes return to top echelons of F1 and have initiated talks with three Mercedes-powered teams: Lawrence Baretto
Honda's recent Formula One success attracts potential new partners, three teams already seeking their alliance for 2026
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Honda on the rear wing of the Redbull car (Credits: Racefans)
Honda‘s presence in Formula One has been a tale of highs and lows. With a long history of being in and out of the sport, the team has faced many setbacks and disappointments. However, they have also had their fair share of success, most recently with their partnership with Red Bull Racing, which resulted in Max Verstappen winning the championship in 2021. But after their team partnership with Red Bull ended in 2021, Honda bid adieu to the sport. They sold their intellectual property to Red Bull, who established Red Bull Powertrains and continued their success Honda valued this and had an HRC logo on their 2022 Red Bull cars.
However, the story doesn’t end there. Honda’s return to Formula One is on the horizon as the Formula 1 presenter Lawrence Baretto says that three UK-based teams are already expressing interest in partnering with the Japanese car manufacturer. McLaren, Williams, and Aston Martin, all currently powered by Mercedes engines, have had informal talks with Honda about a possible return. McLaren, in particular, is also evaluating whether to continue their partnership with Mercedes beyond 2025 and has talked to Red Bull Powertrains about a potential new deal.
Honda has had a tumultuous history with Formula One, with a great alliance with McLaren in the 1980s and 1990s, followed by a disastrous stint as a solo team in the late 2000s. Their comeback to the sport in 2015 as engine suppliers for McLaren was marred by poor performance and reliability, resulting in the partnership’s demise in 2018.
Nevertheless, Honda’s recent success with Red Bull Racing as their engine supplier, resulting in Max Verstappen winning the 2021 Drivers’ Championship, has piqued rival teams’ interest. While Red Bull has agreed to an agreement with Ford for the 2026 season, McLaren is considered interested, having previously conducted conversations with both Honda and Red Bull Powertrains.
Honda’s Formula One return: A fifth chapter in the Japanese manufacturer’s history
Williams and Aston Martin, both of which are now powered by Mercedes engines, are also apparently in the race for a Honda alliance. Williams succeeded with Honda in the late 1980s, and Aston Martin’s rise to the top of the pitch may be aided by cooperation with a works manufacturer. While Honda is not the only choice for these teams, with Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault, and the new Red Bull-Ford combination still available, their recent Formula 1 success is definitely appealing to potential partners. Scaling up their organization to compete at a high level from the start of the 2026 season, on the other hand, will be no easy task.
Most of Honda’s Milton Keynes employees were transferred to Red Bull Powertrains, while those at Honda’s Sakura headquarters in Japan were reallocated to other projects. Despite this, Honda has shown that they are not frightened of a challenge in the past, having produced a World Championship-winning power unit in their most recent Formula 1 stay.
While the regulations for 2026 will not be entirely blank, Honda will face a substantial hurdle in reproducing their setup in less than three years. But, with a lengthy history of success in Formula 1, the corporation is definitely interested in returning to the top echelons of motorsport.
“All HRC members want to decide the direction, they want to know the direction.” Honda’s Yukihiro Watanabe said. A fifth chapter in Honda’s on-again, off-again history with Formula One is undoubtedly in the works, and it remains to be seen which team will join the Japanese manufacturer in its search for greater success in the sport.
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Justin P Joy
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