Emotional goodbye issued to Max Verstappen ahead of 2026 switch

Honda Racing president Koji Watanabe has revealed an 'emotional' farewell to four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen.

The Dutchman has won all four of his championships while being powered by Honda, with his Red Bull team having started their power unit partnership with Honda back in 2019.

2025 was the final year of the partnership, however, with Red Bull instead entering a new era of power unit production in partnership with Ford from next year.

Honda, meanwhile, are set to team up with Aston Martin, as the Adrian Newey-led team look to fight higher up the championship in years to come.

Now, Honda Racing president Watanabe has taken time to speak of Verstappen's impact on the Japanese car manufacturers, as well as express his gratitude towards the Dutchman who has become one of the greatest drivers of all time.

"We've always had the same goal: to reach the top," Watanabe told FormulaPassion. "Abu Dhabi was therefore a very emotional weekend after seven years of working together. On the one hand, we're looking forward to our new adventures, but on the other hand, it's also a bit of a sad moment.

"I'm incredibly grateful to have worked with such an exceptional driver, someone who treated our team with honesty and respect," the Honda executive praised the Dutch driver. "That's something we really appreciate about him. And that's also why our partnership has worked so well.

"Max is incredibly popular in Japan. People associate him with Honda now, just like in Senna's time. He has meant a lot to our company. His attitude and faith in our engineers have always been motivating. Max will always be in our hearts."

Will Honda power Aston Martin to success?

If Aston Martin can achieve even half of the success of Red Bull during their time with Honda, then they will be happy, particularly given the team finished seventh in the constructors' championship with Mercedes engines in 2025.

They have a new power unit partnership with Honda, a plethora of new team members including design legend Newey and Enrico Cardille, as well as a two-time world champion driver in Fernando Alonso.

It remains to be seen how far all of that can get them, particularly in 2026, which is believed to come too soon for their championship ambitions.

But the wholesale regulation changes could well see them challenging for podiums and maybe even race victories next year, before knuckling down and trying to become a championship-contending outfit in years to come.

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