Honda shares update: 'This is where we stand on engines for '26''

After celebrating huge successes with Red Bull Racing for years, Honda will be Aston Martin's engine partner from 2026. The Japanese are now working hard on those power units and - according to HRC president Koji Watanabe in conversation with the Dutch branch of Motorsport.com - their development is progressing well. This is not a given, as Honda has had to rebuild its F1 division virtually from scratch recently.

Honda had originally planned to leave Formula 1. However, after the successes with Max Verstappen and Red Bull, the Japanese changed their minds, and signed a deal with Aston Martin. A complicating factor, though, was that a lot of engineers from the F1 project had now found shelter elsewhere (within the organisation).

"As a result, we have had to refill all these positions again, although they are not entirely the same people. Some people are still the same, but for other positions it was a bit more difficult. In any case, it needs a bit of time," Watanabe seems to temper expectations for 2026 somewhat. After all, it is a well-known fact in Formula 1 it does take time to produce a successful powerplant with the right, new people.

Still, Honda is confident that the project will come together. The knowledge on how to build an internal combustion engine does exist at the Japanese manufacturer. Therefore, the focus is currently on something else: "We are focusing primarily on the electric side of the engine, so our focus now is mainly on the electric engine components and on the battery. This work is fully in line with our own objectives," Watanabe said, indicating that in parallel with this process, the internal combustion engine is being built. But with that, there is still a long way to go.