Honda considering formal return to F1 in 2026 with McLaren interested

Honda officially pulled out of the sport at the end of 2021 but Red Bull continue to use the company’s engines

Honda are considering a formal return to Formula 1 in 2026 when new engine regulations come into play.

The engine manufacturer left the sport, officially, at the end of the 2021 season when their formal partnership with Red Bull came to an end, though the Constructors’ champions continue to use Honda engines and will do so again this year.

Yet Honda are one of six companies - alongside Mercedes, Red Bull Ford, Ferrari, Alpine, and Audi - that have registered as a power-unit supplier for the period 2026-2030 with the FIA, F1’s governing body.

As such, Honda are considering a return to the sport in three years’ time and the BBC report that McLaren have been one such interested party in teaming up with the Japanese giant.

“For the time being, we would like to keep a close eye on where F1 is going and just see how things go,” Honda president Koji Watanabe said. “We don’t have any concrete decisions on whether we will be going back.

“Formula 1 is greatly shifting towards electrification. Given that, carbon neutrality is our corporate-wide target at Honda so we think F1’s future direction is in line with our target. That is why we have decided to register as a manufacturer of a power-unit.

“We are curious about where F1 is going and how is that going to look with more electrification happening.

“We would like to keep a very close eye on that and that is why we have decided to register as a PU manufacturer. And after we made the registration, we have been contacted by multiple F1 teams.”

Honda are considering a formal return to Formula 1 in 2026 (AFP via Getty Images)

As well as McLaren, Aston Martin, Haas and Williams are other current F1 teams yet to commit to an engine project from 2026 onwards.

New engine regulations will see a move towards sustainable technology, with the use of carbon-neutral synthetic fuels, an increase in the proportion of power provided by electricity and simplified technology for the car’s 1.6-litre turbo hybrid engines.

While Red Bull continue to have a positive working relationship with Honda - and Red Bull’s 2023 engines will be titled Honda RBPT - earlier this month Christian Horner’s team announced a partnership with American giant Ford from 2026 onwards.

Andretti also announced that they were targeting a Formula 1 entry alongside General Motors, with the FIA opening their ‘expressions of interest’ process for new additions to the grid.