Aston Martin is preparing for a new chapter in 2026. Currently operating as a customer team of Mercedes, it will transition next year to a full-fledged factory team with its own Honda engines. Top engineer Enrico Cardile, recently appointed Chief Technical Officer of the team, expresses his confidence in the Japanese automotive giant and emphasizes that Honda’s exclusive focus on Aston Martin yields significant benefits.
Cardile, who earned his stripes at Ferrari, was recently a guest on the Beyond the Grid podcast. The Italian has taken on a key role at Aston Martin this year and revealed details about the new partnership with Honda. The Japanese are currently still working with Red Bull and sister team Racing Bulls, but from next year they will enter into an exclusive partnership with Aston Martin. Cardile highlighted the advantages of such an arrangement.
“On the one hand, they (Honda) always try to meet our requests during development,” he explained. “So they don’t have to compromise with the wishes of different teams. On the other hand, they can go a bit further in development because they only have to supply engines to one team. The production numbers are therefore lower, which allows them to raise the bar even higher.”
‘Aggressive Approach’
The Italian spoke admiringly of Honda’s dedication and approach since the partnership was officially announced. “Personally, since my appointment, I have been focusing mainly on the chassis, so I only see what Honda is doing peripherally,” Cardile admitted. “Nevertheless, I am surprised by their dedication and aggressive approach. They are open to close cooperation and do everything they can to meet our demands from chassis development.”
Cardile also discussed the new technical regulations for 2026. Experts believe that the freedom to create a design will be further restricted next year, but according to the Aston Martin CTO, this actually creates opportunities. “I had the same feeling as in 2021, when the new regulations were coming,” he revealed. “At first, the rules seemed too simplistic and the possibilities extremely limited. But once you start working with them, you realize that while they are restrictive, they also provide room for new, creative solutions.”
