In 2021, Honda said goodbye to Formula 1 after years of being the engine supplier for Red Bull Racing. With effect from the new regulations in 2026, the Austrian racing team will produce its own engines in collaboration with Ford. At the same time, Honda will re-enter the sport as an engine supplier for Aston Martin.
One of the biggest changes the sport will see in 2026 is that the engines will deliver half their power from the electric system and the other half from the 1.6 liter turbo engine. As part of the partnership that Honda will enter into with Aston Martin, the company has now decided to build a new factory in England, reports Motorsport.com.
Especially post-race assistance
In addition to building a new factory, a British branch of Honda Racing Corporation has also been set up. ‘In May 2023, Honda and Aston Martin F1 jointly announced that they were entering into a partnership so that Honda can supply its F1 power units that comply with the new F1 rules that come into effect in the 2026 season. “This new company has been established to primarily carry out post-race maintenance and preparation tasks on the Honda-built F1 engines, while also operating as a logistics center for the European region,” the company said in a statement.
With five races on the North American continent, the American branch of the company will also focus on the power unit designed by Honda. That company is also still in its infancy. ‘So far, our activities have mainly consisted of projects: gathering people and money, discontinuing the activities once they are over, and repeating them. However, going forward, we will be responsible for the racing company’s operations,” said Koji Watanabe, president of Honda Racing Corporation.
Once the company can start the actual work, it will mainly focus on the future of the sport. ‘As a company, we naturally have a budget that includes expenditure on technological development with a view to the future, such as sustainable CO2-neutral fuels, powerful engines, batteries, and so on.’
