Japanese vehicle maker Sling announced at a Wednesday press conference that it will return to Formula 1 in 2026, supplying engines and other equipment to Aston Martin.
Honda president Toshihiro Mibe stated that the company will participate in the Formula 1 world championship as an engine supplier starting in the 2026 season. He described the move as a research tool for developing Honda products and staying ahead in technology.
Honda pulled out of Formula 1 in 2021 to focus resources on decarbonizing its lineup, though it maintained a technical maintenance agreement with Red Bull until 2025, supplying engines under the prior partnership with Aston Martin and the Aramco Honda team.
Mibe is among the firm’s many young engineers who welcomed a new challenge. He noted that joining F1 could bring substantial value to Honda and its technology program.
Lawrence Stroll, owner of the English racing team, affirmed that a Honda partnership completes the puzzle that positions Aston Martin as a leading team capable of world championships. He emphasized that Formula 1 is part of the DNA for both companies and that joining forces was an easy choice. Stroll also thanked the Honda board for recognizing the potential of the alliance and praised Honda as a historic force in the sport, citing six drivers titles, six constructors titles and 89 race victories.
return to competition
The Japanese automaker first joined Formula 1 in 1964, soon after introducing its initial vehicles. Honda began competing in the category in 1968 and, after a pause, returned in 1983. During the following decade, Honda left a notable imprint on the sport as an engine supplier to teams like Williams and McLaren.
The burst of Japan’s economic bubble led Honda to withdraw from Formula 1 again in 1992. It returned to the sport as a team in 2000 but stepped back amid Lehman Brothers’ financial crisis, reconsidering its participation afterwards.
Honda reemerged as McLaren’s engine supplier in 2015, and four years later began a deeper alliance with Red Bull, continuing to provide technical support even after stepping away as a technology supplier in 2021. Mibe called this phase painful yet necessary and said it created the desired effect within the company, hoping Honda’s return to racing would meet the fans’ encouragement and expectations with renewed energy.
with new regulations
Mibe explained that Honda plans to return to Formula 1 in 2026 under the sport’s new power unit regulations. F1 has set a target of carbon neutrality by 2030 and will require 100 percent carbon neutral fuel from 2026 onward. Honda indicated that this shift aligns with its own carbon neutrality goals and is essential for developing future technologies that will drive the company forward.
Honda’s leadership believes the knowledge gained from racing technology will directly influence mass production of electric vehicles in the near future, turning Formula 1 into a powerful testing ground for Honda’s broader technology strategy. The company sees the return as a way to accelerate engineering breakthroughs and maintain competitive edge while contributing to environmental commitments and the development of next generation propulsion and energy systems.