Honda has launched its 2026 power unit at an event in Tokyo as it prepares for its first season supplying Aston Martin in Formula 1.
After seven years as the engine partner of Red Bull’s senior team and eight years supplying its junior team, Racing Bulls, Honda has switched to Aston Martin in time for the introduction of F1’s new power unit regulations.
The 2026 rules allow manufactures to produce three times as much electrical power than they were under the previous regulations — accounting for nearly 50% of the maximum power output — and require the V6 turbo engines to run on advanced sustainable fuels.
The decision to display a new engine at the start of the season is unusual in F1, although the official photographs released by Honda ensured some areas of the power unit remained blurred or out of view.
The large orange battery pack attached to the front of the engine went some way to underlining the extent of the changes to F1 power units for 2026.
Honda also took the opportunity to present its new corporate logo on the side of the V6 engine.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and Aston Martin majority owner Lawrence Stroll attended the event alongside Honda Motor Company’s president Toshihiro Mibe.
“Honda is positioning F1 as a symbol of challenge and innovation, and Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), the global racing arm of Honda, developed RA626H, the new PU for the 2026 season,” Mibe said. “Striving to become No. 1 in the world, Honda will continue to take on challenges together with the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team.”
As recently as 2020 Honda announced its plans to withdraw from F1 in 2021, and at that stage was only due to supply and maintain Red Bull’s engines from 2022 to 2025.
That decision convinced Red Bull to produce its own power units for the 2026 regulations before Honda, in 2023, changed its mind and announced its new plan to join forces with Aston Martin.
Aston Martin previously used customer Mercedes power units, meaning this season marks its first year as a works team with its own bespoke engine supply.
“I am delighted to celebrate the start of our partnership with Honda here in Tokyo today,” Aston Martin co-owner and executive chairman Lawrence Stroll said.
“The strong collaboration between the AMR Technology Centre at Silverstone and Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) in Sakura demonstrates the depth of our partnership. We are confident that we have all the elements required to fight for victory in the future and we have tremendous faith in Honda’s Power Unit and the engineers behind it.
“Our journey won’t always be easy and challenges inevitably lie ahead, but winning is what drives both companies forward and together we look forward to many successful years of partnership.”
Aston Martin will enter the new season with legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey as its team principal after Andy Cowell was moved from the position to a role focused on integrating the Honda engine with the new car.
