Honda continues to work very hard to provide Aston Martin with the best power unit for next season. Despite the difficulty of the project and last-minute changes from the FIA, the Japanese company is very confident with the work done so far and says it is ready to play an active role in the team’s goals of reigning supreme in F1.
Changes for 2026
F1 is preparing radical changes for next season. 2026 promises a completely different reality to what we see on the track at the moment, with smaller, lighter cars powered by a more electrified power unit, and where sustainable combustion will play an important role in powering each car.
F1 teams are focused on 2026, almost completely neglecting development for the remainder of 2025. The F1 race is fought in the factories, not on the track, and everyone starts with options, starting from scratch, but big budgets continue to hold the winning hand.
The challenges facing Honda and Aston Martin
Aston Martin wants to become a leading team in the F1 World Championship, as demonstrated by its investment, and it does not want to leave anything to chance. Honda has been the big bet: the Japanese team, seduced by a more sustainable project, accepted the commission from Silverstone to return to the forefront of world motor racing.
The challenges have not been easy. The complex MGU-H has been eliminated for this year, which means the end of the increase in electric power to 350 kW. The type of fuel is also changing, as only sustainable fuels are now allowed, and they will have to go hand in hand with electrification.
Another new feature for next season is that there will no longer be DRS for overtaking, although there will be a new system for overtaking on the track. We are talking about a new aerodynamic system called “Manual Override,” which is still an advantage for drivers, but in a less artificial way.
Honda and its success in F1
Honda’s work with McLaren has nothing to do with Fernando Alonso’s desperate departure from the Japanese brand. This has been proven with Red Bull, with whom they have managed to lead F1 in recent years. After the Austrians decided to team up with Ford to create the new power unit, it seemed that Honda would be left out of the big circus, but Aston Martin’s commitment and the arrival of Newey have been factors to be considered by the Japanese, who have finally thrown themselves into the development of the new engine. it seemed that Honda would be left out of the big circus, but Aston Martin’s commitment and the arrival of Newey have been factors to consider for the Japanese, who have finally thrown themselves into the development of a complex power unit, with challenges, but within reach, and that is what they seem to be achieving from the factory. There is only one goal, victory, and that is what they are working for.
The alliance between Aston Martin and Honda raises doubts due to the new regulations and the novelty of working with someone you have never worked with before, but the ambition of the Japanese, together with that of Lawrence Stroll, who has put everything he has into it, already makes them a contender for next season. There are just over six months to go before the new cars hit the track for their first tests in Barcelona at the end of January. It’s not much time, but it should be enough to get everything ready. Honda says it is.