Everything you need to know about Honda-Aston Martin partnership

From some aspects, Honda's return is not a big surprise, since it was already known that they had signed up for the 2026 engine suppliers. The much bigger question was which team they would join. In recent months, the names of several F1 teams have come up. The most likely was McLaren for a while, but the plans fell through.

Why Aston Martin? Along the same lines, McLaren was also a possible candidate for a while. Mercedes is currently the engine supplier for both teams, which means that the factory team is the priority when it comes to engine design, despite Aston Martin's current form. In order for Aston Martin to become a real top team and fight for the championship in the future, it must first become independent from Mercedes and become a factory team. And Honda needed a partner with potential for further development. The demands matched and an agreement was reached, so when developing the new engine formula for 2026, Honda's exclusive priority will be Aston Martin. Aston Martin’s managing director Martin Whitmarsh, who previously held a similar position at McLaren, played a key role in the conclusion of the cooperation. Honda also clarified in its statement that they do not want to supply engines to more teams.

As for the drivers, Lance Stroll's position remains rock solid. Many people have already started joking with Alonso, since his last cooperation with Honda (at McLaren) was not very pleasant. At the same time, the cooperation will only start from 2026, when the Spanish driver will already be 45 years old, which is no guarantee that he will still race. Because of Honda's Japanese nature, Tsunoda was immediately discussed with Aston Martin as a possible future driver. However, it is certain that Aston Martin is an increasingly promising Formula 1 team that can attract the attention of top drivers.