Honda has teased its forthcoming full return to Formula 1 with the release of its brand new V6 hybrid engine being fired up on its social media.
The Japanese marque will make a comeback to the sport, after officially pulling out at the end of 2021.
In the time since, it has provided support to Red Bull’s in-house powertrains department in maintaining the engines it gave the Milton Keynes-based squad.
But the famed organisation is now back in F1, as an OEM in the form of its solitary customer – Aston Martin.
And the two partners have come together to release the sound of the engine that will power its 2026 challenger on social media – dubbing it ‘The Sound of 2026’.
Honda and the Silverstone-based outfit have teamed up to tackle the first year of F1’s new era of technical regulations, with the additional collaboration via Aston’s designer and new Team Principal, Adrian Newey.
The renowned technical guru has a longstanding relationship with Honda from his Red Bull days, and the team will be hoping that the Newey-designed AMR26 backed with Honda power will reap the rewards of what promises to be an unpredictable campaign.
The V6 hybrids, which were introduced in 2014, remain, but now with increased electricity, equalling a 50-50 split between that and internal combustion power.
This promises a potential change in the formbook, with many wondering just which OEMs and teams will have deciphered the new regulations well enough to come out on top.
READ MORE – F1 to begin simplifying key aspects of 2026 rules for fans
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