Honda is creating a new division to work in Formula 1

On May 24, the Japanese company Honda confirmed a full return to Formula 1: from 2026 it will supply power plants to the Aston Martin team.

Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) president Koiji Watanabe spoke about how they are preparing for this new program and how it differs from previous F1 projects.

Koiji Watanabe: “A new division is being created within the company that will deal with everything related to F1, and this is a very important point. Until now, our work was divided into separate projects, for which human and financial resources were allocated, and when the next project was completed, it was all dissolved and then the whole process was repeated again.

But we are evolving and now HRC will be responsible for all of Honda’s racing programs. Of course, we have a certain budget to spend on improving technologies for the future, including the transition to carbon neutral fuels, the creation of powerful engines, batteries, and so on.

Even within our partnership with the Aston Martin team, our aim is not only to support the partner company, but also to make HRC as financially independent as possible. Then we can continue working in Formula 1.

What revenues can we expect in the future? While it would be best to get them only through our racing programs, in reality this is hardly possible. That’s why we want to add value to our brand, first through high track performance, and then develop a range of unique services that HRC can offer to generate additional revenue.

I want all our specialists to really create new things, not just sit at the tables in their desks and develop some material. We are forming a new organization, a new culture and from now on we want to grow our own employees within HRC. So far, all of this is symbolized by our future program in Formula 1, which starts in 2026. The goal of Honda and HRC in motorsport is to share with our fans the joy of discovering new ways of working through F1 activities.”