Good news for F1? Honda considers more investment

Honda have contracts with IndyCar from now until 2026. The Japanese manufacturer supplies engines for more than half the field there. Only now, the costs are increasing too much in Honda's opinion. Therefore, Honda is considering a farewell to the IndyCar series, and possibly, the Japanese team will focus more on Formula 1.

Speaking to RACER.com, American Honda Motorsports Manager Chuck Schifsky said they are very concerned about costs. "If we were to choose not to renew, that would be the reason why. And it’s easy to see. We don’t have a third manufacturer, and there’s a reason for that: It has to do with the cost. If the return on investment matched up with the investment, we’d have a number of other manufacturers involved."

Looking for change

Honda is looking for a wholesale change in engine regulations to eliminate millions of dollars in annual technical costs. "We’re looking for a wholesale change to the engine regulations so that we can eliminate fives and tens of millions of dollars of annual technical costs," Schifsky said. The options he gives are for Honda to shift to NASCAR, make further investments in Formula 1 or leave motorsport altogether.

Room in Formula 1?

But is there still room in Formula 1 for Honda? From 2026, Honda will supply engines to Aston Martin's Formula 1 team. Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and Red Bull Powertrains have re-registered as engine suppliers for 2026. Those suppliers will cover themselves, with Mercedes also suppling McLaren on a long term deal. Renault will supply Alpine and possibly Andretti, and Red Bull has partnered with Ford from 2026. AlphaTauri will also use these engines. Furthermore, Audi will supply the engine to their team [known as Alfa Romeo in 2023] as a newcomer.

Haas and Williams

The contracts of two teams that do not develop their own engines will expire after 2025. These are Haas and Williams. So they are free to find a new supplier for when the rules change. So, there is still room for Honda to supply engines.