HONDA The Power of Dreams

Honda’s history in Formula 1 dates back to 1964. At a New Year press conference, company founder Soichiro Honda announced, “Honda will make its Formula 1 debut at this year’s Monaco Grand Prix.” At the time, few people in Japan were aware that Formula 1 represented the highest level of four-wheel racing, and the announcement attracted limited public attention. Nevertheless, it marked the first public expression of Soichiro Honda’s extraordinary passion for Formula 1.

Honda had only begun automobile production the previous year. Having already grown into one of the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturers and achieved success in motorcycle world championships, Honda’s challenge of the pinnacle of car racing drew significant interest from the Formula 1 community and Western media—while also being viewed by many as an ambitious and risky undertaking.

In 1965, Honda achieved its first Formula 1 victory with the RA272, developed entirely with proprietary technology. This marked the first realization of Honda’s philosophy of “continuing the challenge to win.” However, in 1968, Honda decided to withdraw from Formula 1, ending its initial participation after securing two victories.

In the 1980s, Honda once again turned its attention to Formula 1. Led by Nobuhiko Kawamoto, who later became the fourth President of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Honda returned to Formula 1 as an engine supplier. After overcoming early difficulties, Honda found Formula 1—then entering an era dominated by power performance—to be an ideal competitive stage.

In 1988, Honda and McLaren Formula 1 Team achieved an unprecedented record of 15 wins from 16 races, establishing Honda as the benchmark power unit supplier of the era. However, in 1992, Honda suspended its Formula 1 activities at the end of the season.

Honda’s next Formula 1 challenge began in 2000. Initially aiming for a full factory operation including in-house chassis development, Honda ultimately returned as an engine supplier. A prolonged absence from Formula 1 and partnerships with emerging teams made it difficult to achieve immediate results.

By this time, Formula 1 had evolved from a power-focused era into one where overall performance—particularly aerodynamics and chassis integration—played a decisive role. In 2006, Honda acquired BAR and entered Formula 1 as the Honda F1 Team, returning to a full factory structure for the first time since 1968.

That same year, Honda secured its first victory since returning to Formula 1 at the Hungarian Grand Prix, but also announced its withdrawal from Formula 1 activities at the end of the season.

In 2013, Honda announced its fourth Formula 1 program, returning in 2015 through a partnership with McLaren. From 2014, Formula 1 had introduced sweeping regulation changes, replacing traditional engines with hybrid power units combining internal combustion engines and electric motors.

This new system posed significant challenges for Honda, particularly in terms of reliability. Despite persistent efforts, results remained elusive, and Honda ended its partnership with McLaren at the conclusion of the 2017 season. Determined to continue its Formula 1 activities, Honda overcame technical challenges through intensive troubleshooting and development, leading to a partnership with Red Bull Racing. This effort culminated in 2021, when Honda finally achieved its long-sought championship title.

At the same time, Honda had already announced its decision to conclude Formula 1 activities to focus on future carbon-neutral initiatives. As a result, 2021 marked Honda’s final season in Formula 1 under that program.

In 2023, Honda announced its return to Formula 1 from 2026, entering a partnership with Aston Martin Formula One Team. Honda will develop and manufacture power units for the new regulatory era beginning in 2026.The decision to return was driven by the alignment between Formula 1’s new regulations and Honda’s pursuit of carbon-free technologies, as well as a renewed recognition of the importance of the Formula 1 brand to Honda.

Honda’s Formula 1 history is characterized by repeated cycles of withdrawal and return. At each stage, Honda made rational decisions based on prevailing conditions, while maintaining its underlying passion for the challenge. When the timing was right, that passion found expression once again through a return to Formula 1.

Honda’s commitment to Formula 1 is driven by three core motivations: the pursuit of technological challenges at the highest level, the development of engineers capable of overcoming extreme difficulties, and the preservation of brand value by meeting the trust and expectations of Honda’s fans and customers.

Honda believes that these objectives can only be achieved by winning.

At the same time, there is a fundamental passion for Formula 1 itself and for the act of taking on challenges—an ethos widely recognized as “Formula 1 is part of Honda’s DNA.”