Aston Martin and Honda mark start of works partnership at Tokyo launch

Aston Martin and Honda celebrated the start of their works F1 partnership on Tuesday during a special pre-season event in Tokyo, Japan.

Aston Martin Aramco Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll was joined by Honda President and Representative Executive Officer Toshihiro Mibe for the presentation, while F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali also attended and took to the stage.

Since returning to F1 as a works team back in 2021, the Silverstone-based Aston Martin squad have been powered by Mercedes engines, but this changes for 2026 – and the sport’s all-new regulations – thanks to their Honda tie-up.

Aston Martin’s former Team Principal and new Chief Strategy Officer Andy Cowell has been overseeing the final stages of the integration, drawing on his lengthy and successful stint at Mercedes High Performance Powertrains, with F1 design legend Adrian Newey taking on team boss duties.

“I am delighted to celebrate the start of our partnership with Honda here in Tokyo today,” said Lawrence Stroll. “Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team and Honda share many values, and those values have brought us together for 2026 and beyond.

“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.”

Honda chief Mibe added: “Honda’s participation in F1, the pinnacle of automobile racing, has been the embodiment of the spirit of the company founder, Soichiro Honda, who inspired Honda engineers to commit to becoming No.1 in the world and to take on the most difficult challenges.

“In 2026, F1 will undergo a major change in regulations for both the chassis and power unit. Honda sees F1 as a symbol of challenge and innovation, and HRC, the global racing arm of Honda, has developed the RA626H, the new power unit for the 2026 season, to meet those challenges.

“Striving to become number one in the world, Honda will continue to take on challenges together with the Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team.

“Today we also launch a new ‘H’ mark with a refreshed design, which Honda has adopted as the new symbol representing its automobile business. This new H mark symbolises the transformation of Honda's automobile business so it is an important moment for us.”

In his on-stage speech, Domenicali said: “This is an exciting moment for the sport of F1, as Honda and the Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team join together to fight for the biggest prize of F1.

“Formula 1 began racing in Japan in 1976 before moving to Suzuka in 1987, so there is a deep loyalty and connection to the country where a record 13 World Drivers’ Championships have been decided over the years.

“The sport is growing in Japan where there are now nearly 17 million passionate and incredible F1 fans. The Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka last year welcomed 266,000 weekend attendees, and saw a +26% year-over-year increase in TV viewership in Japan. The return of Honda to F1 this year will further boost the potential for the sport here in the Japanese market.

“The exciting next generation of regulations for 2026 is one of the factors that has drawn Honda back to the sport. Those regulations will see both the chassis and PUs updated, in the biggest overhaul in the sport’s history. There will be a simplified hybrid engine that runs on advanced sustainable fuel without impacting the performance.

“F1 echoes the commitment of Honda and Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team to sustainability, and is on target to achieve the goal of Net Zero by 2030 having already delivered a 26% reduction in carbon emissions by year end 2024 compared to 2018.

“F1 welcomes the innovations that are to come and is working with partners such as Honda to push boundaries.”

Next up for the new Aston Martin-Honda alliance will be the Barcelona Shakedown week from January 26-30, before the team hold their official season launch at Ithra in Saudi Arabia on February 9.