Honda F1 2026 Feature
In 2026, Honda will compete in Formula One alongside the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team as a factory team. As the sport enters a new era of electrification, Formula One serves as a proving ground to refine both technology and people at the highest level of competition.
This feature highlights the passion behind Honda’s decision, the history of Honda F1, and the basics of Formula One.
Why Honda Is Returning to Formula One: The Passion and Vision Behind the Challenge
Explaining the Basics of Formula One and Honda's History in F1
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MotorsportsFormula One: The Pinnacle of Global MotorsportMotorsportsFormula 1 events are known as Grands Prix. The term Grand Prix originates from French and means “grand prize” or “highest award.” The first French Grand Prix was held in 1906, after which the name came to be associated with the highest level of automobile racing. A Formula 1 Grand Prix is organized through the respective roles of three parties: the Fédération Internationale de...
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MotorsportsInside the Grand Prix: How a Formula One Event WorksMotorsportsFormula 1 events are known as Grands Prix. The term Grand Prix originates from French and means “grand prize” or “highest award.” The first French Grand Prix was held in 1906, after which the name came to be associated with the highest level of automobile racing. A Formula 1 Grand Prix is organized through the respective roles of three parties: the Fédération Internationale de...
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MotorsportsRace Day Decoded: The Core Format of Formula OneMotorsportsIn 2026, Honda will compete in Formula 1 together with the Aston Martin Formula One® Team (AMAF1). This decision represents Honda’s choice to refine its technologies and nurture its people on the world’s most demanding motorsport stage—connecting today’s challenges to the next era. On January 20, 2026, Honda held a press conference in Tokyo, where President Toshihiro Mibe spoke about the company’s determination and the true intent behind taking on Formula 1 at a time when the sport is accelerating toward
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MotorsportsHonda and Formula One: A Legacy of Relentless ChallengeMotorsportsHonda’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 ...
Honda's Passion for F1 and Development Roadmap: Insights from HRC President and Power Unit Development Leader
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MotorsportsA Message fro HRC President Koji WatanabeMotorsportsThe 2026 season will mark a major turning point for Formula 1 as a whole. For Honda, it will also be the start of a new challenge. Honda brought its Formula 1 activities to a close at the end of the 2021 season, and now, at a moment when F1 is being fundamentally reshaped by new regulations, returns to the sport to begin supplying power units to the Aston Martin Aramco...
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MotorsportsHRC LPL Tetsushi Kakuda Discusses Key Points of the New Power Unit Regulations and the Development Focus of Honda’s PUMotorsportsFrom the perspective of a development engineer, what do you see as the main challenges and key points of the power units from 2026 onward? “In terms of difficulty—honestly, everything. Other than the basic architecture of a V6 turbo internal combustion engine (ICE), everything is new, so it was essentially a complete reset. The basic structure, such as engine mounting distances...
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Honda StoriesWhy Honda Takes on the Challenge of Space: Behind the Scenes of Sustainable Rocket’s Successful Launch and Landing Test, and Dreams Envisioned by its EngineersHonda began research in the space domain in 2019. While working on three projects—a circulative renewable energy system, space robotics, and sustainable rockets—Honda conducted its first sustainable rocket launch and landing test on June 17, 2025, reaching an altitude of nearly 300 meters. The test successfully verified key technologies, including rocket stability during ascent
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HRCHRS - Nurturing future motorsport starsTakuma Sato knows a thing or two about what it takes to reach the top of the motorsport pyramid. One of just three Japanese drivers to ascend a Formula 1 podium, he started 90 Grands Prix with Honda engines and delivered two Indianapolis 500 victories for the manufacturer. He qualified second for this year’s 109th running of the Indy 500, proving he’s still right at the sharp end of that...
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HRCTackling the Rallye Monte Carlo Historique with Takuma SatoCelebrating 50 years of the Honda Technical College, the students of the Honda-owned college in Saitama, Japan, recently undertook a very special challenge – rebuilding a pair of 1975 Honda Civic RS models to take on the 2026 Rallye Monte Carlo Historique. Starting from Reims, in the north of France, the 28th edition of this demanding event took two Honda Civics ...