Aston Martin F1 team to use Honda engines starting 2026

Starting in the 2026 season, the Aston Martin Formula 1 team will switch to Honda power units, ending its five-year partnership with Mercedes-Benz. While the focus is primarily on the racing program, statements from both companies' leadership suggest this alliance could eventually extend beyond motorsport.

What the executives say

During the new engine presentation in Tokyo, Aston Martin executive chairman Lawrence Stroll emphasized that the current priority is the factory team's Formula 1 operations. However, he explicitly stated there are no obstacles to potential future joint road car projects, including supercars and hypercars.

Honda president Toshihiro Mibe was more cautious. According to him, no discussions about production models are currently underway, but successful racing experience could be applied to road cars. If the partnership proves effective, expanding the collaboration is entirely possible.

How Formula 1 has already influenced road cars

For Aston Martin, this practice isn't new. The most striking example is the Valkyrie hypercar, developed with input from legendary Formula 1 engineer Adrian Newey. The car's aerodynamics are directly inspired by race cars, and its naturally aspirated V12 Cosworth engine with a hybrid system produces 1,160 horsepower and revs to 10,500 rpm.

Honda's connection between Formula 1 and road cars is more historical but equally significant. In the 1980s, the Honda-McLaren partnership influenced the creation of the NSX. Moreover, Gordon Murray acknowledged that the NSX inspired him during the development of the McLaren F1, and Ayrton Senna personally participated in fine-tuning the Japanese sports car's handling.

What this could mean for future models

For now, this remains a theoretical possibility. The 2026 Formula 1 season only starts in spring, and before discussing road projects, the partners need to prove their competitiveness on the track. Nevertheless, the very fact such statements are being made shows that Honda and Aston Martin view motorsport as a source of technologies and ideas that could eventually materialize in production sports cars.