Honda aims to quickly compete for the Formula 1 championship with Aston Martin.

The Aston Martin F1 AMR24 team, driven by Lance Stroll from Canada, participated in the Japanese Grand Prix during the Formula 1 World Championship on April 6, 2024. Honda, the Japanese car company, revealed its bid for the Championship of the Formula 1 World as soon as its partnership with Aston Martin begins in 2026.

Honda’s return to Formula 1 in 2015 was frustrated by the lack of competitiveness and reliability of its engines, leading McLaren to end the deal early. However, his partnership with Red Bull turned out to be a turning point, resulting in three Drivers’ Championships and two Constructors’ Championships for the Austrian team.

Despite its success, Honda’s decision to withdraw from Formula 1 at the end of 2021 led Red Bull to establish its own Powertrains division, eliminating the possibility of renewing their partnership. Therefore, Honda chose to join Aston Martin to ensure its continued participation in the sport once the new power unit and aerodynamic regulations are implemented.

Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin owner and team principal, sees this alliance as important in his quest to take the team to the top of Formula 1. When asked about Aston Martin’s ambitions, Koji Watanabe, president of Honda Racing Corporation, said that their goal is to be World Champions from 2026 onwards.

“We understand that this will be very difficult and not an easy task, but we need big goals to motivate us to work together with Aston Martin,” explained Watanabe. “Therefore, in collaboration with Stroll and Toshihiro Mibe, CEO and president of Honda, we have set ourselves the goal of seeking the world championship that year. Of course, it will be a difficult task.”

Watanabe recognizes that Aston Martin and Honda have their limitations that need to be addressed in order to achieve their shared goals. He acknowledges the need for open and honest communication between the two parties in order to identify and correct the defects. Watanabe reveals that Honda received interest from several teams, but chose to partner with Aston Martin due to their ambitious plans and impressive equipment. He praises Aston Martin’s commitment to becoming title winners and points to their state-of-the-art headquarters as proof of Lawrence Stroll’s determination. Watanabe emphasizes the collaborative nature of their partnership and the shared vision of both teams. He mentions the establishment of a technical work team and a steering committee to address key issues and work on improvements.

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