HRC president Koji Watanabe stated that “the door is not closed” for Honda to return to Formula 1 in 2026.
Honda left F1 after the 2021 season, although they are still supporting Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri. Senior Honda personnel visited the Austrian GP last weekend, which fueled discussions about Honda’s return to F1 in 2026, when the new power unit regulations would be introduced.
Watanabe confirmed that there is a possibility of Honda’s return.
“Formula 1 is the top motorsports category, so we are always watching what is happening in the F1 world,” he said.
“Of course, we just finished and concluded our activities, so nothing [has been] discussed within the Honda company about 2026 season. So, no plan.
“[But] it is not a closed door. My understanding is that F1 is discussing to decide the regulations for 2026, and definitely the direction is carbon neutrality. That is the same direction as us.
“So we don’t have to [diverge] from carbon neutrality through F1 now. It is probably also a good opportunity to study carbon neutral F1. So it’s not a closed door.”
