Aston Martin will reportedly switch its power unit supply from Mercedes to Honda from 2026, with the two companies set to announce their future partnership in F1 as early as this week.
The rumor of a tie-up between Aston Martin and Honda has been swirling around the F1 paddock for some time, but according to Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport, a deal has now been signed and sealed between the two parties.
Honda is one of six manufacturers to have registered with the FIA earlier this year and indicated its interest in producing a next-generation power unit for Formula 1 based on the set of regulations that the sport will introduce in 2026.
Honda's current partner, Red Bull, will rely in three years' time on its own power unit developed in-house by Red Bull Powertrains with input from brand partner Ford.
In February, the Japanese company indicated that it had been approached by several F1 teams interested in its product, while Honda itself said that it was still considering its future in the sport beyond 2025.
"Formula 1 is greatly shifting towards electrification, and carbon neutrality is our corporate-wide target at Honda," commented at the time Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe.
"We think that F1's future direction is in line with our target, so that is why we have decided to register as the manufacturer of a power unit."
Honda has now decided to return as a works supplier, according to La Gazzetta's report, and has allegedly contracted with Aston Martin for a five-year period, from 2026 to 2030.
Switching its power unit supply deal from Mercedes to Honda would offer Aston several potential advantages.
While Mercedes' engines have undoubtedly been reliable and successful, there is an inherent risk in relying solely on a direct team competitor for power units.
By transitioning to Honda, Aston Martin could reduce its dependency on Mercedes' drive train and the components it acquires from the Brackley squad.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff with Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll.
It would also provide Lawrence Stroll's outfit with an opportunity to differentiate itself from Mercedes' customer teams allowing Team Silverstone to stand out and potentially gain a competitive advantage through unique engineering solutions and strategies.
Finally, Honda has demonstrated a remarkable ability to improve and evolve its engine performance over time.
The company's commitment to continuous development and innovation has been evident in its partnership with Red Bull, where they have made significant progress.
By aligning with Honda, Aston Martin could tap into this technical development potential and benefit from ongoing advancements in engine performance and efficiency.
A Aston-Honda association would trigger memories of Fernando Alonso's history with the Japanese manufacturer, when the Spaniard lambasted Honda more times than it cares to remember during its ill-fated partnership with McLaren.
However, it's unlikely that Alonso's past antics will have been a factor in Aston and Honda's talks. At 41, the chances that the two-time world champion will still be racing in F1 in 2026 are remote.
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