Honda, Returning to Formula One, Unveils Power Unit with New Engine

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:39 JST, January 21, 2026

Honda Motor Co. unveiled its new power unit, including a new engine, for the Formula One championship — the pinnacle of auto racing — on Tuesday, ahead of its return to the sport.

The power unit, developed to meet new carbon dioxide emission regulations, will be provided to the U.K.’s Aston Martin team.

It marks Honda’s fifth time participating in Formula One. The company intends to apply technology honed in racing to its automotive development.

Under the new regulations, electric motors account for a greater proportion of a racing car’s drivetrain output, making the ratio of motor output and engine output about 50% each. They will also mandate the use of synthetic fuels with low CO2 emissions.

On Tuesday, Honda also revealed a new vehicle fitted with the new drivetrain.

“Formula One is a motor sport that challenges both manufacturing technology and decarbonization. We’ll connect them with our four-wheel vehicle business,” Honda Motor President Toshihiro Mibe said emphatically at a press conference.

Honda first took part in Formula One racing in 1964. After repeated withdrawals and re-entries, it announced its fifth return to the sport in 2023. Among Japanese manufacturers, Toyota Motor Corp. has a technical partnership with the U.S. Haas F1 team for vehicle development and other areas.

Formula One’s popularity is booming worldwide thanks to films and sharing videos online. Spectator numbers in 2025 were 6.7 million, about 1.6 times higher than in 2019. The Japanese Grand Prix in 2025 also attracted the largest attendance since 2009.