Honda confirms no possibility of supplying Red Bull in 2026

While FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem continues to leave the door ajar for a return to louder, more visceral V8 engines, Formula 1’s engine manufacturers remain firmly focused on the upcoming 2026 regulations.

A number of internal meetings were held earlier this year to examine whether the sport should pivot away from full electrification, especially amid growing concerns that the new rules could slow the cars down dramatically and harm the on-track spectacle.

However, Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe says those talks have now been shelved.

"For the time being, the talks have come to a halt," he told Japanese outlet as-web.jp. "Therefore, we, the power unit manufacturers, are now concentrating on 2026. However, as long as the ideals currently held by the FIA remain unchanged, I expect that the discussions will start again."

Honda has consistently positioned itself as a strong advocate for hybrid power and electrification in F1.

"We are aware of the current situation in F1," Watanabe said. "Honda's desire for F1 to remain the pinnacle of motorsports remains unchanged. We will continue to discuss what power unit is appropriate for that.

"Honda's current position is that we believe that electrification is a very important element in moving towards a sustainable future."

From 2026, Honda will be powering Aston Martin, while Red Bull will launch its own in-house engine project in partnership with Ford.

Rumours have swirled that Red Bull's development with Ford may be behind schedule or underpowered, leading to speculation that the team approached Honda to supply engines beyond 2025.

"That is not possible at all," Watanabe made clear. "Even if we were asked to do it now, it would be too late to make it in time for 2026. The chances are zero."

Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko, meanwhile, has dismissed suggestions of trouble inside the Red Bull Powertrains-Ford program.

"Gazing into a crystal ball is impossible," he told f1-insider.com. "Four things are crucial with the new engine, the battery circuitry, the combustion engine, the software, and - not to be underestimated - the mandatory biofuel.

"I trust our engineers and am receiving positive feedback."

Mercedes is widely expected to lead the pack with its 2026 power unit, which could put customer team McLaren in a strong position as well. However, Toto Wolff hinted at some regret over that engine supply deal.

"Look where they were three or four years ago when we made the deal for them to use our fast engines for the next few years," the Mercedes boss told Sky Italia. "They were 18th then, so it seemed like a pretty easy decision.

"With what we know today, I don't know if it was the smartest decision of my life," he added with a smile.

As for Honda, the company is bullish about its prospects with Aston Martin, especially with Adrian Newey now onboard and Andy Cowell, the former Mercedes engine guru, also involved as team boss.

"Aston Martin has already made various requests to improve its competitiveness," Watanabe revealed. "We don't know if they came from Newey, but we know that Andy (Cowell) also previously led Mercedes' power unit department, so he has a good understanding of the power unit side of things.

"It is an advantage for us to have someone like that on the car development side and to be able to proceed with discussions," he concluded.