Honda has revealed its new 2026 Formula 1 engine at an event in Tokyo with part of the design kept hidden for now.
The Japanese manufacturer has partnered Aston Martin for the new rules after seven frontrunning seasons with Red Bull.
Honda engines were originally set to disappear from F1 for this season when it announced its planned withdrawal from F1 in 2020, which was due to happen in two stages.
It formally left as an active manufacturer at the end of 2021, but agreed to build and maintain the engines for the Red Bull teams to the end of that rules era in 2025.
While that was going on, though, Honda struck a new deal with Aston Martin to build a new engine for the 2026 rules after all.
That engine, the RA626H, has now been shown off at a Tokyo event organised by Honda and joined by senior Aston Martin figures plus F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, providing the first look at the new engines which feature two major differences to their predecessors.
The engine unveiling included Honda rolling out a new logo for this project which Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said will be used in F1 and other motorsport activities to show the "transformation of Honda automobile products".
There is no MGU-H on the 2026 F1 engines, but the hybrid element is significantly increased to an almost 50/50 split between internal combustion and electric power.
The latter is evidenced by the significantly increased battery pack and control electronics attached to the new engine - the large orange box, and module sited above it.
However, while Honda has taken the rare step of being willing to show off its engine, a key part of the design has clearly been kept hidden.
Honda showed the engine from one angle on stage and only made one photo from that same angle available in its official media images, showing off one side including the combustion engine casing, exhaust primaries, two chimneys and basic structure of a visually impressive design.
It published more on social media showing the other side of the engine, though, with part of the lower assembly blurred.
This is where important integration details may be visible, for example where MGU-K mounting and packaging becomes more obvious. Positioning of key items, routing and cooling choices are bigger differentiators than simply the engine's largest shapes.
Honda's role as Aston Martin's works engine partner is a key component of its bid to fight for world championships.
After an awful return to F1 with McLaren in 2015 at the start of the V6 turbo-hybrid era, Honda went from strength to strength following that partnership's split at the end of 2017, and grew into a title-winning force with Red Bull.
Expectations are high for what it can achieve with Aston Martin, now led by technical legend Adrian Newey, but Honda's withdrawal and subsequent revival of an F1 programme for 2026 has cost it development time.
It is also working with first-time partners Aramco and Valvoline on fuel and lubricants respectively, and Honda is known to be one of the manufacturers upset with Mercedes' perceived interpretation of compression ratio rules for 2026.
Aston Martin executive chairman Lawrence Stroll said "our journey won't always be easy and challenges inevitably lie ahead" but "we look forward to many successful years of partnership".
