Normally, only the Formula 1 teams reveal their liveries ahead of a new season. Power unit manufacturer Honda decided to do things differently this year and has already shown its entirely new power unit to the world. The Japanese maker did not do this lightly: Formula 1 stands on the eve of a season in which a completely new engine regulation takes effect.
Honda is also supplying engines to Aston Martin for the first time this season, after the long-standing partnership with Red Bull officially ended at the end of 2025. The unveiling of the new unit, the RA626H, took place on Tuesday in Tokyo. “Formula 1 is evolving into a new generation of motorsport,” Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said during the launch. “The budget cap will impose strict constraints. We must therefore achieve huge results with limited resources. This is not just a race: it is a battle of ingenuity and technology honed to perfection.”
Aston Martin
Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll is convinced that, with Honda, Aston Martin has everything it needs to score success in Formula 1. “This will be an incredibly important chapter in our history,” the Canadian said at the event in Tokyo. “For us, the partnership with Honda from 2026 and the fact that we become a genuine works team for the first time is a crucial and hugely exciting moment in our Formula 1 history.”
“Under the new leadership of our technical director Adrian Newey and our chief strategy officer Andy Cowell, our entire team is evolving together in pursuit of our objectives,” Stroll continued. “We are pushing boundaries and working tirelessly with future success in mind. From 2026 we have entered a true working partnership with Honda, which means the chassis and the power unit will be designed as one integrated package — a step that is crucial to our ambitions of winning the championship.” Aston Martin will unveil the AMR26 livery on 9 February, after already having run the first kilometres behind closed doors during the test days in Barcelona at the end of January.
