Aston Martin switches to Honda engines, the goal is to win the F1 World Championship – Corriere.it

Only the signature on the agreement was missing, it has arrived. Honda returns to Formula 1 together with Aston Martin after the hasty (and incomprehensible) farewell at the end of 2021, when Verstappen celebrated his first title on the last lap in Abu Dhabi. Lots of words by the managers to try to explain that the real reason for the return is due to the new 2026 rules on engines that enhance the electric part and synthetic fuels. It is the justification fed to the shareholders, which nobody believes.

The truth is that the HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) must have burned a lot to see Red Bull dominate with its inherited engines. There will be a different partner this time, Aston Martin. And it will be unique, “we have no plans to supply to other teams,” he told a small group of reporters Koji Watanabe, number one of the Hrc. The goal is to win, the one scored by Lawrence Stroll’s team is a huge hit. Because at Sakura they know how to make engines, because many former Red Bulls work at Aston Martin who know how the alchemy of the dimensions between the chassis and the Japanese power unit works. Among these is technical director Dan Fallows, Newey’s former right-hand man. It’s not good news for the opponents, it’s not for Ferrari which from the next cycle of rules could find itself facing a fierce and well-prepared team, one more with which to have to fight.

For Stroll, the podiums (four in this 2023) are no longer enough, and perhaps not even the stage victories – they haven’t arrived yet – big reason: he wants the title, he wants to compete on the same level as the big names. The CEO explains it clearly Martin Whitmarsh, another important purchase (he was Ron Dennis’ deputy at McLaren): «We want to win, for this we need our own supplier, we could no longer be dependent on Mercedes or others. Mercedes has been and will still be a great partner, but in 2026, with the new rules, a different organization will be needed. To win, you will need full integration between the chassis and the power unit».

Alonso will be 44 in 2026, will he still be behind the wheel? It’s difficult, but you can expect anything from Spanish. At the time of McLaren he had been very critical of Honda engines (“This is a GP2 engine, he said on the radio …”), Watanabe was also asked about that episode. Answer: «Fernando is a great driver, and in any case he won’t be up to us to choose who drives him but at Aston Martin. We only think about making winning engines». Withmarsh: «Fernando is a man of extraordinary intelligence, certain comments in the past had been provoked by adrenaline. I hope that he still wants to drive for a long time ».