FIA talks ‘on hold’ as Honda F1 boss issues 2026 update

Photo: © IMAGO

F1 2026

FIA talks ‘on hold’ as F1 boss issues 2026 update

The FIA hosted a meeting in April

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 22 July 2025 09:12

Honda F1 boss Koji Watanabe has issued an update on their place in the sport after the FIA held talks about future regulations.

The FIA summoned F1’s engine manufacturers to a meeting ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in April over the potential to use V10 engines that run on sustainable fuels in the future.

In 2026, the engines will be split 50/50 between electrical power and the internal combustion, with an emphasis on sustainability attracting the likes of Audi and Honda to the sport.

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Following the meeting, the FIA confirmed there would be no return to V10s before 2029 and asserted that any future regulations will have an emphasis on sustainability.

In an interview with Japanese publication as-web, Honda chief Watanabe issued an update on the status of these discussions and the manufacturer’s own position in F1.

"For the time being, the talks have come to a halt. Therefore, we, the power unit manufacturers, are now concentrating on 2026,” he explained.

“However, I believe that the discussions on future power units are not over yet. As long as the ideals currently held by the FIA remain unchanged, I expect that the discussions will start again."

"There is nothing in particular to officially say at this stage, but we have been informed of the meeting that took place in Bahrain, and we are aware of the current situation in F1. Honda's desire for F1 to remain the pinnacle of motorsports remains unchanged.

“We will continue to discuss what power unit is appropriate for that. Honda's current position is that we believe that electrification is a very important element in moving towards a sustainable future."

Who will Honda supply in F1 from 2026?

Honda will part ways with Red Bull at the end of the 2025 season, after enjoying a period of championship success with the Milton-Keynes based outfit and Max Verstappen.

While Red Bull will develop their own power units in partnership with Ford from 2026 onwards, Honda will instead supply power to Aston Martin.

In the same interview, Watanabe denied Red Bull any assistance in 2026 should the team’s power unit operations not be ready.

The Honda chief also offered an update on their work with Aston Martin, and confirm that testing has taken place in Britain.

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