Honda began providing engines to Red Bull Racing in 2019 after providing powertrains to Toro Rosso (now Scuderia Alpha Tauri) in 2018. Max Verstappen and RBR won the 2021 Drivers' Championship, and Honda withdrew from Formula One at the end of the year. I guess, sort of. The Japanese carmaker started offering technological assistance to RBR in 2022, assisting them in winning the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships.

In 2026, Honda will make a comeback as a powertrain provider, although not with RBR because the latter is working with Ford. Instead, Aston Martin and Honda have decided to collaborate starting in 2026, when several regulations are expected to alter. The turbocharged 1.6-liter V6 will operate on entirely synthetic fuel, while the F1 vehicles will consume three times as much electrical power as they do currently. Still anticipated to have over 1,000 horsepower and maybe even noisier are the hybrid powertrains.

From 2026, it is anticipated that the hybrid powertrain's MGU-K (or Kinetic Motor Generator Unit) component would provide 470 horsepower (350 kilowatts), or almost half of the system's output. According to Honda, the new powertrain it developed for Aston Martin will benefit vehicles on the road, including a "electric flagship sports model." The firm has already hinted that the NSX would return in an electric form for a third generation.

Recall that Porsche attempted to negotiate a deal with Red Bull. The F1 team, however, rebuffed the Zuffenhausen-based automaker's request for a 50:50 partnership. Despite the setback, Porsche still intends to begin competing in the most renowned racing series in the world in 2026. Audi will enter Formula One alongside Sauber as a member of the same Volkswagen Group.