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The roar of Formula One engines has been brought back to life this week as teams prepare for the biggest rule change in the history of the world’s premier motorsport category.
The 2026 F1 season, which begins with the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park on March 8, will introduce new chassis and engine regulations designed to improve the racing spectacle while taking the sport closer to its ambitious goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
It is a comprehensive overhaul of all fundamental areas and will continue to push the boundaries of engineering, technology, reliability and, perhaps most importantly, the way teams and drivers reach the finish line first.
Honda, which dominated the previous ground effect era in its partnership with Red Bull Racing and its sister company Racing Bulls, changed teams in 2026 and is now teaming up with iconic brand Aston Martin to power the cars of two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and his teammate Lance Stroll.
“Honda’s participation in Formula 1, the pinnacle of automobile racing, embodies the spirit of the company’s founder Soichiro Honda, who inspired Honda engineers to become number one in the world and take on the most difficult challenges,” said Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe at the recent launch of the new Honda RA626H engine at the state-of-the-art Aston Martin F1 factory in the UK.
“It is also the starting point of Honda’s long-standing approach to tackling difficult challenges.”
What’s new under the engine cover for 2026?
Internal combustion engine
All F1 teams are still bound by regulations that limit the internal combustion engine (ICE) to a maximum displacement of 1.6 liters in a single turbocharger V6 configuration.
However, there is a significant change in the relationship between it and the electrical components, which we will discuss in more detail below.
The new regulations for 2026 have reduced the maximum compression ratio from 18:1 to 16:1, further restricted fuel flow and removed the MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit – Heat), which previously harvested electrical energy via the turbocharger.
The end result is a significant reduction in peak power from around 550 kW in previous seasons to around 400 kW this year.
Electrical components
The most significant change to the 2026 F1 engine regulations is a greater reliance on electrical energy than before.
F1 units are petrol-electric hybrid systems that, similar to a Honda CR-V or Civic, combine an internal combustion engine with an electric motor to produce maximum power.
For this year, Formula 1 has introduced regulations that change the ratio between combustion engines and electric motors to a 50:50 split.
This means the electric motor’s peak power is increased from 150kW to 350kW, which also requires a larger, more efficient battery pack.
Previously, the battery could be recharged at any time using kinetic energy from the electric motor when braking (MGU-K) or from the turbocharger via the MGU-H (or a combination of both).
The increased availability of electrical power has also brought with it a range of new driving modes that allow drivers to strategically attack or defend during races.
The first is an overtaking mode that temporarily increases maximum power when the following driver is less than a second behind. This essentially replaces the previous Drag Reduction System (DRS), which allowed chasing drivers to open their rear wing to increase top speed on the straights.
The second attack function is called Boost and allows the driver to access full power output at any time, not just when driving closely behind a vehicle.
Unlike overtaking, drivers can decide whether they want to use the extra power either all at once or spread it out over the entire lap. This ensures more tactical use in attack and defense and potentially more surprising overtaking maneuvers.
However, this also drains the battery more quickly, meaning the driver has to use the charging function. In this situation, drivers must harvest more energy to recharge the battery by either braking for longer distances or lifting and coasting in corners, which could potentially make them more vulnerable to overtaking maneuvers.
Essentially, greater reliance on electrical power is intended to add another strategic element to racing that will challenge the best teams and drivers.
Sustainable fuel
Another new initiative in 2026 is the introduction of fully synthetic fuels.
Most recently, F1 fuels contained 10 percent renewable ethanol – just like the E10 you can buy at your local gas station – but this year all teams must use 100 percent sustainable fuels tested in the lower F2 and F3 categories over the last two years.
Aston Martin’s partnership with Aramco puts Honda at the forefront of this groundbreaking technology.
Interestingly, another new regulation this year has incentivized fuel suppliers to further develop the energy density of their sustainable fuels, which could be used to a strategic advantage.
In the past, engines were limited to a maximum fuel flow rate of 100 kg/h, but this year each car will be limited to a total energy displacement of 3000 MJ/h, which includes both the battery pack and fuel.
If a fuel supplier can improve the energy density of their fuel and the engine maintains maximum efficiency throughout the race, teams have the option to start with a lower fuel load, improving performance and lap times.
How Honda uses Formula 1 to improve its road cars
The new Formula 1 engine regulations for 2026 will undoubtedly cause a lot of excitement on racetracks around the world this year.
But they will also produce better cars for us all in the future, with Honda committed to using its findings to improve its fleet of family-friendly and fuel-efficient production vehicles.
The technologies honed in Formula 1, such as high-efficiency combustion and thermal management, turbocharging and sustainable fuels, will be applied not only to next-generation hybrid (HEV) and fully electric (EV) models, but also to Honda products that improve air mobility, such as eVTOLs and aircraft engines.
Honda says it is already incorporating advances in sustainable fuel into its Honda Jet program as well as personal drones, which are currently being studied.
The Japanese brand has also hinted at leveraging its involvement in Formula 1 to produce a series of limited-edition high-performance vehicles under the Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) banner, most likely starting with the next-generation Civic Type R, which was recently revealed in concept form alongside its new F1 power unit.
Honda says it will use F1 technologies as a starting point to further facilitate technological innovation for a wide range of mobility applications on land, sea, air and space, contributing to the advancement of mobility products and services and the realization of a sustainable society.
MORE: Explore the Honda showroom
