It has staggeringly been revealed by Japanese manufacturer Honda that “multiple Formula 1 teams” have expressed an interest in using their power units from 2026, when the new engine regulations are introduced.
Honda left the sport as a powertrain supplier at the conclusion of the 2021 season, before returning to Red Bull as a technical partner.
The side’s name, though, does return to Red Bull’s engine title for the forthcoming season, suggesting that their partnership has developed into something similar to what it was like the year Max Verstappen claimed his first title.
Red Bull’s and Honda’s relationship will end at the conclusion of 2025, though, with the Austrians having signed up to be an engine supplier from 2026 onwards.
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It means Honda’s services are no longer needed at the Milton Keynes-based team from the new engine regulations onwards, given that Honda too has signed up to be an engine supplier.
The intriguing part about this, though, is that Honda don’t currently have a team to supply engines to for 2026, although, McLaren have been rumoured as a potential destination.
McLaren used Honda’s powertrains at the start of the turbo-hybrid era, before switching to Renault due to how woeful Honda’s engines were.
Honda have gone on, though, to build some of the best power units on the grid, which has allowed Red Bull to enjoy remarkable success.
With that in mind, it’s perhaps not a surprise that Honda have been “contacted” about engines for 2026, given their recent success.
“After we made the registration we have been contacted by multiple Formula 1 teams,” Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe told media.
Interestingly, despite having registered their interest in being a 2026 engine supplier, the Japanese manufacturer having fully decided on whether they’ll compete in the sport in 2026 or not, with the plan being to “see how things go”.
“For the time being we would like to keep a close eye on where Formula 1 is going and just see how things go,” added Watanabe.
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“For now, we don’t have any concrete decisions on whether or not we will be going back to joining Formula 1.
“But from the perspective of technological development, we think that being part of Formula 1 is going to help us with technological development.
“So that is were we are.”