F1: Honda Sets Up New UK Engine Base in Advance for Aston Martin Partnership

A new F1 facility in the United Kingdom will be inaugurated by Honda soon. The facility will mainly be used for post-race servicing of the power units that Aston Martin will use beginning in 2026. While Honda officially left Formula One at the end of the 2021 season, the company that helped Max Verstappen win his first drivers' title continued to supply engines to Red Bull and RB (formerly AlphaTauri) until the end of 2025 as part of Honda Racing Corporation. After that, Red Bull will work with Ford to incorporate its own engine.

Sakura, Japan will continue to be the hub of Honda's power unit design and manufacture. This spring, recruitment will begin for the recently formed UK base. It is expected that Red Bull will keep using RBPTH power units till the end of the next year. By 2026, they will have switched to new powertrains developed in collaboration with Ford and headquartered at the Milton Keynes-based Red Bull Powertrains subsidiary. With its latest collaboration with Aston Martin, Honda has entered the Formula One engine manufacturing market for the fourth time. Its first foray into the sport was in the 1960s when it was a fully-fledged works team that won two grand prix before deciding to pull out.

According to Honda, "This new company has been founded to primarily perform post-race maintenance and preparation tasks on the Honda built F1 power units (PUs), whilst also operating as a logistics operation for the European region. The establishment of HRC UK will further enhance the effectiveness of Honda’s PU operations, in support of the partnership with Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team. In May 2023, Honda and Aston Martin F1 jointly announced they will enter into a works partnership so that Honda will supply its F1 PUs compliant with the new F1 regulations which will take effect in the 2026 season."

F1: Honda and Aston Martin

In 2026, Honda will return to Formula 1 as a main supplier, partnering with Aston Martin. By the end of 2021, Honda had left Formula One after seven years, during which time Max Verstappen had won the World Championship with Red Bull. Thanks to a power unit support arrangement that will last until the end of 2025, their partnership with Red Bull will continue after their 2022 double-championship win.

With the 2026 rules, which have a strong emphasis on sustainable technology, in mind, Honda has decided to return to Formula One with the growing Aston Martin team. Honda was swayed by the effectiveness of these technologies, which are shown by the present Red Bull fleet. In particular, Honda was enticed by the 2026 Formula One engine rules' need for 100% sustainable fuels and increased emphasis on electrical power, which led to their comeback to the competition.