Japanese carmaker Honda announced on May 24that it will be a 'full blown engine manufacturer' for Aston Martin when it competes in Formula One racing in 2026.
Currently the Silverstone-based Aston Martin's cars are powered by Mercedes engines.
"It is very, very difficult to win consistently championships without a full works relationship, which is why we've made this decision," Aston Martin's Group CEO of performance technologies Martin Whitmarsh said.
Koji Watanabe the president of the Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) confirmed the Japanese automaker's plans to not supply power units to other teams.
Honda withdrew from Formula One in 2021 but has continued to provide engines to reigning world champions Red Bull, who have already announced a deal with Ford from 2026, under a technical support arrangement.
Formula One's 2026 power unit will use 100 percent sustainable fuels and have a much greater electrical component, with the sport aiming to be carbon neutral by 2030.
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said the 2026 regulations and Formula One's push for sustainability were in line with Honda's carbon neutrality goals.
"We believe that the technologies and know-how gained from this new challenge can potentially be applied directly to our future mass production electric vehicles, such as an electric flagship sports model, and electrification technologies in various areas," Mibe said.
Talking about the necessity of a full partnership with just one company, Honda said that "the 2026 Formula One regulations will require the full integration of chassis and PU (power unit) that only a full works team relationship delivers".
Aston Martin CEO Martin Whitmarsh said the team would continue to compete as Aston Martin after 2026.
Renault-owned Alpine, Audi, Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains and Red Bull Ford will be the other engine manufacturers from 2026.
(With inputs from agencies)