Honda to enter 2026 F1 season holding hands with Aston Martin: Reports
Aston Martin is all-set to debut Honda engines from 2026 as contract with Japanese manufacturer falls in place.
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Contrary to popular belief, Formula 1 is far from being a one-man show starring the racers only. The pinnacle of motorsports has a host of people working day in and day out to make sure their F1 racecar is fast enough to attain the topmost spot in the grid. Thus, while the onus of performing at the Main Race undoubtedly falls upon the F1 drivers, it is also the task of the car manufacturer as well as the engine supplier to ensure the team grabs the victory over all the rivals.
Honda is one of the biggest names among the engine suppliers who have been attached to Formula 1. The Japanese manufacturing house announced they would be taking the exit from their partnership with Red Bull, their customer team since 2019, at the end of the 2021 season when Max Verstappen seized his debut World Championship victory. But now, it seems like the absence of Honda will be a short-lived one as an explosive report from the Italian news outlet Gazetta claims the Japanese brand will come back as the engine supplier for Aston Martin Racing.
Aston Martin Racing, the rebranded version of Racing Point, is Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll‘s brainchild. Stroll has massive aspirations for the team, and they have already attained some of their goals with Aston Martin establishing itself firmly in the second spot on the 2023 Constructors’ Championship till now. Aston Martin’s single-seater has been powered by a Mercedes engine ever since the team debuted in 2021. But with Honda’s engines to power them up, the bottle-green squad might have far greater achievements to unlock in the future.
Aston Martin will have two big advantages because of the Honda engines
While an official confirmation has not come yet, it has been revealed that Aston Martin and Honda have already agreed to a deal. According to some sources, the terms of the contract have said that Honda will begin the partnership with Aston Martin in 2026. Because of this venture, Aston Martin will have to severe ties with their existing engine suppliers, Mercedes. This will give two advantages to the Silverstone-based outfit–they will have more freedom to choose their designs, and they will also have an exclusive engine now.
In other news, the times seem to be going well for Aston Martin with their star racer Fernando Alonso having scored four podiums in the first five races of this season. The last time Nando had won a Grand Prix was in 2013, at the Spanish GP. But with the incredible speed of the AMR23, he believes a race win is on the cards for the Asturian. Now, it remains to be seen if Fernando Alonso does manage to get a resounding Grand Prix victory a decade since his last.
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