Honda F1 engine deal opens options for Aston

An Aston Martin powered by Honda? Only in Formula 1. At first glance, a partnership that will mate Honda powertrains to Lawrence Stroll’s Aston Martin-badged F1 cars from 2026 could be described as an incongruous marriage of convenience. Yet the alliance is grounded in a logic that makes long-term sense for both parties, while opening up intriguing possibilities for this fast-rising F1 superpower.

Honda officially pulled out of F1 at the end of 2021, just as Max Verstappen secured its first F1 title since 1991, citing a need to focus on the electrification of its road cars. Yet the Japanese giant has never really left. Its engines still power Red Bull and even Honda branding has quietly returned. Now its high level of form and F1’s commitment to sustainable fuels for 2026, a larger emphasis on the electric-powered aspect of its new engines and an ambitious net-zero emissions target of 2030 has justified a rapid corporate U-turn. But Red Bull’s decision to strike a deal with Ford for the new era forced Honda to seek an alternative partner team.

“The deal makes Aston Martin a strong prospect”

Aston Martin was by far the obvious choice. Under Stroll, the team is beginning to fly on the back of his significant investment. But it currently relies on Mercedes power, plus its rival’s gearbox and suspension, creating what Aston Martin Performance Technologies chief Martin Whitmarsh describes as an “incompatibility” if it is to push on and challenge Red Bull for world titles. The former McLaren team principal is credited for brokering the Honda tie-up and views it as “one of the last parts of the jigsaw puzzle slotting into place” to match the team’s ambitions. Stroll’s aggressive recruitment drive of key personnel from rival teams, the building of a soon-to-open new Silverstone base that includes a windtunnel – and now the addition of a title-winning factory powertrain partner – makes Aston Martin a strong prospect for the second half of the decade.

But there’s a big question mark, in the shape of Stroll himself. His investment has secured the future of a team that has regenerated through several identities since its foundation as Jordan. On one hand, it would be understandable if the Canadian billionaire wanted to remain at the helm to enjoy the fruits of that commitment. On the other, how high will his personal investment remain beyond the lifespan of his son Lance’s driving career? Viewed through this prism, the Honda deal has wider implications.

Stroll and his consortium only hold a minority stake in Aston Martin, reported as 23 per cent, yet the 63-year-old owns the F1 team and its new assets outright. It is ‘Team Stroll’ more than it is ‘Aston Martin’. Therefore, this deal could give Stroll a future exit strategy and allow what has also become known as ‘Team Silverstone’ to morph yet again into another entity: a full-blown works Honda team, perhaps.

Either way, the manufacturer’s fresh commitment, beside Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Renault (Alpine) and the incoming Audi and Ford, is a shot in the arm for F1 – even if the optics of an Aston Martin powered by Honda might leave those who exist outside the F1 bubble scratching their heads.