Honda, the Japanese automobile company, is set to return to Formula 1 as a power unit supplier from 2026. However, they do not yet have a partner team to work with. While a reunion with Red Bull is not possible due to the team’s new partnership with Ford, Honda will remain with them until the current regulations end in 2025. Honda is one of six suppliers for the 2026 grid, including Red Bull Powertrains-Ford, Ferrari, Alpine, Mercedes, and Audi. This means that the factory teams that are associated with these suppliers are unlikely to partner with Honda in the future.
However, this provides a chance for a current engine customer team to have an exclusive deal with Honda. As a result, several teams are potential contenders for this partnership.
Number 1. Aston Martin
Upon first glance, a partnership between Honda and Aston Martin may seem like the ideal scenario for both the power unit supplier and the team. Aston Martin has made significant investments to strengthen its infrastructure and compete with top contenders in Formula 1. With a new factory and wind tunnel currently in the works at Silverstone, the team’s logical next step would be to acquire its own “factory” engine supplier.
Currently, Aston Martin is one of three customers of Mercedes on the grid, so it already has access to the Silver Arrows’ wealth of expertise and recent championship-winning experience. However, if the team decides to forge its own path, Honda could be the perfect solution.
With Honda’s entry onto the 2026 grid as a power unit supplier and the Ford tie-in with Red Bull set to take effect when the new power unit regulations come into play, Honda is in need of a partner team. The partnership with Aston Martin could provide the Japanese manufacturer with a well-established team to work with, as well as the potential to develop an exclusive engine deal in the future. It remains to be seen whether Aston Martin will choose to pursue this avenue, but it certainly makes sense on paper.
Number 2. McLaren
McLaren’s current partnership with Mercedes will last until at least 2024. While the team may not reach the level of dominance they had in the mid-2010s, the progress Honda has made over time could lead McLaren to reconsider their options if an offer comes their way.
The “GP2 engine” comment from Fernando Alonso may still sting for both parties, but with almost a decade having passed since their last collaboration, the wounds may have healed. After all, Formula 1 has seen bridges rebuilt between teams and brands in the past.
Number 3. Haas
Haas has formed a closer relationship with Ferrari over the past year by establishing a technical base in Maranello, adjacent to the Scuderia’s own factory, and hiring several former Ferrari team members. It appears that the team has no plans to sever their ties with Ferrari anytime soon. In addition, team owner Gene Haas has rejected multiple approaches from Michael Andretti to acquire his team in the past. Therefore, any significant changes to Haas’ current arrangement seem unlikely.
However, as the late, great Murray Walker once famously said, “Anything can happen in Formula 1, and it usually does.” While surprises are always possible, it is unlikely that Honda will partner with Haas in the near future.
Number 4. Williams
It is unlikely that Mercedes’ third and final customer team, Williams, will switch from the Silver Arrows’ power any time soon, unless Williams’ team principal, James Vowles, decides to take the team in a new direction. With three seasons to go before the power unit regulations change over, it would make sense to stick with what they know well as they aim to climb back up the grid.
However, if Honda were to re-partner with Williams, it would bring back a legendary duo in Formula 1 history. The Japanese automaker powered the team to World Championship victories in 1986 and 1987, so a reunion could bring a sense of nostalgia and excitement to the sport.
