Honda is postponing the release of its F1 engine for as long as possible to provide Aston with a better opportunity to win.

      BEN STANSALL

      Honda Racing Corporation is currently fully engaged in developing its brand-new Formula 1 engine and intends to maintain this pace until the start of the 2026 season. Following its separation from Red Bull Racing at the end of 2021, Honda has aligned itself with Aston Martin for 2026 and has spent the past year restructuring its team, establishing new facilities, and ensuring it has the required resources to give Aston a competitive edge against Red Bull, McLaren, and Ferrari in 2026.

      In an interview with HRC F1 chief Tetsushi Kakuda, Autosport indicates that Honda plans to advance the development of its new engine package "right up to the last minute," noting that while the automaker had a "slightly late start," it has made significant progress since then.

      Kakuda told Autosport, "We aim to submit the homologation in February next year—given our slightly late start, we want to keep pushing until the very end. It’s hard to specify what percentage of progress we've achieved, but I believe we're at a noteworthy stage."

      He further explained, "There are crucial timing milestones when both parties need to finalize key components for homologation. We are coordinating with Aston, discussing our timelines for making final decisions, and aligning our schedules accordingly."

      HRC President and CEO Koji Watanabe, whom we recently interviewed at the Rolex 24, visited Milton Keynes this week to oversee the reopening of HRC’s new Formula 1 facility. This site was previously used by Red Bull and before that, by Honda. The U.K. team will collaborate closely with HRC’s main office in Sakura, Japan, but will benefit from being nearer to Aston’s F1 headquarters in Silverstone.

      In addition to the technical aspects of developing a new power unit under revised regulations, Kakuda has also had to address staffing challenges, as many HRC engineers and personnel were attracted to work full-time for Red Bull following the 2021 split.

      With renowned designer Adrian Newey starting his new position at Aston this week, the next few months will be critical for finalizing the car design and overall dimensions to ensure compatibility with Honda’s package. Similarly, Aston will need to collaborate with Honda throughout the design process to ensure a seamless integration and avoid any last-minute issues.

      While February 2026 may seem distant, for Honda and Aston, it represents a tight timeframe considering the significant work ahead. Additionally, it will be intriguing to observe how this season's developments influence Aston and Honda’s strategies concerning aerodynamics, chassis, and powertrain design.