In 2026, new regulation changes could shake up the entire grid, and friends will turn into foes. It will mark the end of the partnership between Red Bull and Honda, with the former joining hands with Ford. Honda meanwhile, will partner up with Aston Martin, a team that is aiming to compete for the World Championship in the coming years.
Honda will supply power-units to a new team but wants to keep their championship-winning momentum going. According to Koji Watanabe, Honda Racing Corporation’s president, the Japanese company wants to steer the British team to emerge as the new superpower of the F1 world.
“To become world champion from 2026 onwards,” said Watanabe, as per Motorsport, when asked about their aim for the new regulations. “We know that it will be very difficult, and it is not so easy. But we need some good targets to put in our best effort together with Aston Martin.”
: Horner reassured that Red Bull’s 2026 engine project is progressing well. The collaboration with Ford is on an aggressive curve, with facilities complete for testing and development. He acknowledged the steep learning curve as a new power unit manufacturer but expressed… pic.twitter.com/bpr72PLOc8
— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) April 16, 2024
Currently, Aston Martin is nowhere close to Red Bull, who has been dominating F1 since 2022. The team showed progress in 2023, fighting for the podium places, but has taken a step backward once again in 2024. However, with Honda coming in two years later, things could be very different for the Silverstone-based outfit very soon.
How can Aston Martin be a threat to top teams?
Honda struggled comprehensively, in terms of performance before partnering up with Red Bull in 2019. With McLaren, their reputation took a hit, especially after Fernando Alonso labeled their power-unit, as a “GP 2 engine” in 2015.
After joining Red Bull, however, it became a force to reckon with. They have been powering the Milton-Keynes-based outfits to regular wins since 2021, and are expected to do so in 2024, and 2025 too.
| Working with Honda again was a CRITICAL motivator for Alonso to re-sign with Aston Martin.
The 2026 regulations will be key. pic.twitter.com/yizQhZ0fjw
— formularacers (@formularacers_) April 11, 2024
Aston Martin, a team that has been showing steady progress and has championship ambitions, could be the perfect set-up for Honda in the coming years. Alonso, who is also eyeing race wins, signed an extension with the British team, and with Honda, and will be hoping to compete for world titles.
