Honda to host a distinctive 2026 F1 engine launch in January, offering what will likely be the first look at a 2026 power unit. While car unveilings are a staple of F1’s pre-season drama, engines have typically played a secondary role in launch plans.
The 2026 season will bring a major shift in both car and engine regulations, with F1 emphasizing the continued prowess of hybrid power and a move toward a roughly even split between electric power and internal combustion. Honda is officially returning to F1 in 2026 as Aston Martin’s works partner after spending the past four years as a reduced supplier to Red Bull following its formal withdrawal at the end of 2021.
The decision aligns Honda with the new engine rules and sets it up to compete against former partner Red Bull (which will use engines built by its own Powertrains company in collaboration with Ford), newcomer Audi, and established manufacturers Mercedes and Ferrari.
Aston Martin’s 2026 F1 car is set to be unveiled in Saudi Arabia on February 9, but Honda will stage a unique event in Tokyo on January 20, about three weeks earlier. The company says it will reveal its engine alongside outlining its ambitions and explaining the new regulations.
The Tokyo event promises a rare, close-up look at a modern F1 engine and will feature the first official images of a power unit built to the 2026 rules, including the significantly upgraded energy recovery system but without an MGU-H. This follows Honda’s recent disclosure of the engine’s sound for the new regulations.
Key speakers at the Tokyo event will include Honda president and CEO Toshihiro Mibe, Aston Martin F1 team chairman Lawrence Stroll, and F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali. The event will be streamed live on YouTube in both English and Japanese.
