Max Verstappen says it is "a shame" that Honda will partner with Aston Martin when Formula 1's 2026 power unit regulations come into force. Honda will commit to a full works effort with Aston for the 2026 reset, with the Silverstone-team set to ditch Mercedes power which they have enjoyed since 2008 in the Force India guise. Honda formally withdrew from F1 at the end of 2021, although continue to supply Red Bull power units as they were frozen from 2022 to the end of 2025, save for reliability upgrades. This led to the formation of Red Bull Powertrains with Ford coming onboard as technical partner for 2026 - but Verstappen is disappointed by the Japanese manufacturer's decision to join with Aston Martin.
"From our side, it is a bit unfortunate how it all turned out [in the end] because a few years ago, they said: 'We're going to stop' and then Red Bull sets up this whole engine division," Verstappen told media, including RacingNews365. "Then at one point, [Honda] say: 'Oh we'll continue.' "When you're already in the process of building a whole engine yourself, you can't really work together anymore. It is a bit of a shame I would say. "We always had and have a really good relationship with them - seeing them go to Aston Martin is a bit of a shame. "We are also very excited from our side for 2026 onwards, and what's going to happen together with Ford. "I loved working with them, we've had a lot of success already, so of course I will be sad to see them go."
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