Honda admit Verstappen key to their PU development – Red Bull Racing will become the first ever F1 customer team to develop its own power unit next year. Having suffered due to Renault’s lack of investment prior to the introduction of the V6 turbo hybrids, the team from Milton Keynes finally hooked up with Honda in 2018. The result – four driver titles and two constructor championships.
Yet Honda’s journey in the modern era was no immediate success. They slogged away as McLaren’s sole supplier having joined the party a year after the rest of the ending manufacturers. The papaya team’s “size zero” car design created numerous headaches for the Japanese engineers resulting in overheating, oil pressure fluctuations and a number of other reliability issues.
Fernando Alonso famously described the Honda power unit as like a “GP2” engine, as Marcus Ericsson in a lowly Sauber cruised past him on lap 6 of the Japanese Grand Prix. The embarrassment for Honda was obvious, given the Spaniards comments came at their first home race since the automaker returned to F1.
Honda walked away from F1
Having made progress with Red Bull winning their first race together at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, Honda announced in 2020 it would be leaving the sport come the end of the 2021 season. The official reason given was that the Japanese manufacturer wished to redirect resources toward achieving carbon neutrality and developing zero-emission road car technologies including electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cells.
This oncer again left Red Bull and AlphaTauri scrambling for a new engine supplier and the decision was made by then team principal Christian Horner to launch their own powertrains division. Honda, as they have done before, then changed their minds deciding the 2026 new power units fitted their view regarding developing EV projects.
They offered to remain in partnership with Red Bull Racing, but the commitment to its new power division had been made and personnel were already recruited. Honda will become the exclusive supplier of power units to theAston Martin team next year, reigniting their partnership with Adrian Newey designed cars.
Aston Martin concerned with correlation issues
Newey has expressed concerns over the correlation of the team’s development tools, particular the driver loop simulations which he claimed cold take two years to fix. Yet the team’s CEO and principal, Andy Cowell, was considered to be the mastermind behind the all conquering Mercedes. He brings expertise to the Aston – Honda wedding meaning mistakes from the past should not be repeated.
Honda have admitted they will only finalise their power unit architecture design with the FIA at the very last minute in February 2026. Whilst this will allow the Honda engineers to innovate for longer, the risk is the final version of the PU will not enjoy the benefit of extensive bench testing for reliability.
That said, the FIA have already indicated they will monitor all the new power units across the first five race weekends. Those who on average are down on power by more than 3% of the leading product, will be given an opportunity to catch up with more resources, testing and a re-homolgation later in the year.
Horner return as F1 team boss?
Verstappen assists Honda with PU development
As Honda are living the long goodbye with Red Bull, the president of their racing corporation, Koji Watanabe, has revealed he would like to partner with Max Verstappen again in the future. When asked about a potential reunion, he replied: “Yes, of course, although we never know what will happen in the future, if we could work again with Max Verstappen, whom we have great respect for his fantastic talent and passion, it will be a very exciting reunion.”
Verstappen has been openly pursued by Toto Wolff and the Mercedes team even offered their rising star Kimi Antonelli to another team for this season in the hope the world champion would join alongside Russell. Aston Martin too have been linked with a move for the world champion where he would be reunited with F1 legendary car designer Adrian Newey, who had a hand in all his championship winning racing machines.
Verstappen is praised by the CEO of the Honda Racing Corporation for his input into their engine designs since he was first powered by the Japanese manufacturer in 2019. “He played a very important role in the power unit development,” Watanabe explained to RacingNews365. “He has an extremely sensitive feel for the power unit and the machine and is able to give precise feedback to engineers. It was very helpful for us to develop the power unit.”
Stand out Honda/Red Bull memories
Reflecting on Honda’s time with Red Bull, Watanabe highlighted two standout memories from the partnership with Verstappen. “It is seven years since we started supplying power units to Red Bull Racing in 2019, and eight years since we started working with Toro Rosso, which is now VCARB, back in 2018,” he said.
“There were many memorable moments between us and them. The most beautiful thing I remember is the first victory with RBR at the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix. I was in Austria at the time, and I will never forget the excitement as Max Verstappen was at the centre of the podium, pointing to the Honda logo on the chest of his racing suit.”
But above all, one night in Abu Dhabi stands apart. “Of course, I will not forget the dramatic win of his first world championship at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix,” Watanabe concluded.
As Honda transitions to Aston Martin, the possibility of a future reunion with Verstappen remains uncertain. But Watanabe’s words leave no doubt: Honda’s respect for the Dutchman runs deep, and the bond forged during their seven-year partnership may not be finished just yet.
Insider reports: Red Bull 2026 engine “looks bad”
Despite almost half the 2025 Formula One season remaining, the paddock focus is well an truly on the looming huge regulation changes coming next year. The new rules cover aerodynamics, power units and almost all aspects of the car are forcing the engineers into blue sky thinking which should reveal a wide variety of solutions when the cars hit the track in January’s first pre-season test.
McLaren have become the benchmark this season, comfortably leading both championships, their huge lead allowing them to switch their resources to 2026, while their rivals are still tinkering with this year’s challenger.
Mercedes are persistently reported as having the strongest power unit to date as the constant movement of staff between teams allows glimpses into how each team’s projects are progressing. The FIA too is receiving ever increasing feedback from the teams as their drivers are stepping up their simulator work week by week…. READ MORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
