Josh Katz Sports Blogs

Partnership Value

Aston Martin x Honda: This is a works partnership. Honda supplies a dedicated power unit. They provide full technical support exclusively to Aston Martin. This partnership is a multi‑year agreement. It was formed after Aston Martin’s works partnership with Mercedes ended after the 2025 Formula 1 season ended.

Aston Martin x Aramco: This partnership includes Aramco’s brand integration into the team’s name. They paid a significant fee for this title partnership. Aramco has a five‑year contract that started in 2024. The contract is valued at $30 million per year. They replaced Cognizant after their title partnership ended in 2023. But this isn’t just a sponsorship; it is a deep technical partnership.

Why These Can Be Good Partnerships

Aston Martin x Honda

This partnership gives Aston Martin a dedicated partner

This partnership gives Aston Martin a fully dedicated engine supplier. With Honda, Aston Martin can work one‑on‑one without competing with other teams for technical resources. Under a Mercedes power unit, they had to share support with teams like Williams and McLaren.

A dedicated partner boosts the chances of achieving optimal integration between the power unit and the chassis. This integration is a critical factor in modern F1 performance.

This can also become a disadvantage at times as well. Honda works exclusively with Aston Martin. As a result, they don’t benefit from the wider data pool. Supplying multiple teams can be helpful going into a season with new regulations. A power‑unit manufacturer like Mercedes collaborates with three other teams (McLaren, Williams, and Alpine). They can identify patterns and compare failures across different chassis. They also find solutions faster simply because they have more data points to analyze. This broader feedback loop helps accelerate problem‑solving. Honda won’t have this advantage unless Aston Martin alone can generate enough mileage. They need variation to expose issues early.

Strategic Alignment

Both Aston Martin and Honda have championship ambitions. Honda-powered Red Bull to three Constructors’ Championships and four Drivers’ Championships with Max Verstappen.

Aston Martin has a vision. They want to pair Honda’s proven power unit expertise with Adrian Newey, the prized former Red Bull designer. This combination has the chance to create a championship‑capable package.

Growth and Longevity

This partnership was built with long‑term success in mind. The 2026 season has started poorly. Alonso and Stroll are struggling to finish races due to multiple issues with the power unit and the chassis. Vibrations are damaging the battery and chassis.

These are serious problems. Aston Martin is Honda’s only customer. They can diagnose and focus on major problems with more intensity than other power unit suppliers might manage to.

Early adversity provides insight into how each side operates under pressure. This experience is valuable for when they eventually fight for Constructors’ or Drivers’ Championships.

Aston Martin x Aramco

Strategic Brand Marketing

Aramco is a Saudi Arabian energy giant. It positions itself as a premium global brand. This aligns naturally with Aston Martin’s luxury image. The company consistently ranks among the most valuable brands in the Middle East, reaching a valuation of $41.7 billion in 2025. Both brands aspire to be perceived as high‑performance and technologically advanced. They aim to be globally relevant. This partnership reinforces that shared positioning.

Performance & Technical Integration

This partnership goes far beyond branding. Aramco plays an active role in technical development. They are collaborating with Honda to advance the high-performance hybrid powertrain. This powertrain will run on 100% sustainable fuel created by Aramco for the AMR26 and future Aston Martin F1 cars.

Aramco is also collaborating with Valvoline (Aston Martin’s official lubricant partner) to optimize the Honda engine.

Additionally, Aston Martin uses Aramco’s computational modeling and advanced technical computing capabilities to accelerate aerodynamic and engine development.

Sustainable Technology Leadership

Both companies are future‑focused and aligned with Formula 1’s net‑zero by 2030 target. Aramco is developing and supplying 100% sustainable, lower‑carbon synthetic fuel for the AMR26. This will reduce emissions, improve engine efficiency, and accelerate the transfer of on-track technology to real-world transportation for the Aston Martin road cars of the future. This positions both brands at the forefront of sustainable engineering and mobility innovation in the sport.

Key Quotes From Aston Martin, Aramco and Honda

Aston Martin’s Perspective

“We are confident that we have all the elements required to fight for victory in the future and we have tremendous faith in Honda’s power unit and the engineers behind it.” (Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin Executive Chairman)

“[Aramco and] all the key pieces of infrastructure needed to make Aston Martin a world championship-winning team are now in place.” (Adrian Newey, Team Principal and Managing Technical Partner at the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team)

Aramco’s Perspective

“We’ve been working closely with Aston Martin since 2022 on motorsport technologies and with Formula One, Formula 2, Formula 3, and F1 ACADEMY on supplying low carbon fuels, all in preparation for this season.” (Ahmad Al-Khowaiter, Aramco Executive Vice President of Technology & Innovation)

“We’ve been able to work with Aston Martin and Honda to develop our low carbon fuels, and we are looking forward to the introduction of ProForce+, our 100 per cent FIA-compliant sustainable fuel. From this season’s racing, we’re hoping to collect a lot of data that we’ll be able to use to perfect future formulations and hopefully achieve future wins.” (Ahmad Al-Khowaiter, Aramco Executive Vice President of Technology & Innovation)

Honda’s Perspective

“The new regulations are really challenging. The MGU-K is three times more powerful than before but battery capacity remains almost unchanged, so we have fewer energy generation sources. Energy management will therefore be the key for the new power unit.” (Koji Watanabe, HRC President)

“Our engineers often travel to the AMR Technology Campus and engineers from Aston Martin are working hard in our factory in Japan.” (Koji Watanabe, HRC President)

Conclusion

Aston Martin has partnerships with Honda and Aramco. These partnerships show a team investing in the foundations needed to become a long‑term contender in Formula 1. Honda provides a dedicated power unit partner with a real championship pedigree. Aramco offers global brand strength, technical resources, and leadership in sustainable fuel development. Even with early setbacks in 2026, these relationships give Aston Martin crucial benefits. They have gained stability, alignment, and the ability to shape their own performance future, which they’ve been lacking for years. If they can transform that foundation into consistent development, they will execute effectively. They’ll then have the right ecosystem to grow into a team capable of fighting for championships.