Honda now targeting £981m-valued F1 team to work with alongside Aston Martin after Red Bull exit

The 2025 Formula 1 season signals the end of one of the most successful partnerships in the sport’s recent history.

Honda started working with Red Bull Racing in 2019 after a promising campaign powering their sister team Toro Rosso the previous year.

It was an agreement that was initially supposed to end in 2021, but Max Verstappen won the drivers’ championship that year and suddenly Honda’s interest in remaining in Formula 1 returned.

Honda would go on to power three more championship victories for Verstappen and two constructors’ titles for Red Bull, but that partnership will end at the conclusion of 2025, with Red Bull Powertrains making their debut for the new regulations next season.

Red Bull and Honda discussed extending their agreement, but a compromise couldn’t be found, and from next year, the Japanese power unit supplier will be working exclusively with Aston Martin.

Honda are said to be struggling with their 2026 engine, but that hasn’t stopped them from exploring the possibility of working alongside a second team in the paddock going forward.

READ MORE: Yuki Tsunoda will be desperate for a repeat of the last time Red Bull used special Japanese Grand Prix Honda livery

Honda seeking agreement with Williams alongside Aston Martin deal after Red Bull exit

Journalist David Tremayne was discussing Red Bull and the sudden promotion of Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda on Formula 1’s official website.

He believes Tsunoda’s F1 career rests on the upcoming season being a success at Red Bull, given there is ‘unlikely’ to be an opening at Aston Martin when Honda begin working with the team.

Honda have helped bankroll Tsunoda’s promotion to Red Bull, but aren’t keen on helping him find another seat on the grid in 2026 if he requires one.

Tremayne then suggested that he believes Honda are seeking a ‘second team’ on the grid to work with going forward and admits that a ‘possible candidate’ is the £981m-valued Williams team.

However, the chances of Tsunoda being in a position to replace either Alex Albon or Carlos Sainz at Williams, even if a deal were negotiated, seem very slim.

The best bet Tsunoda has of staying on the grid beyond 2025 is to impress Red Bull enough to award him another contract.

As Liam Lawson proved during the first two race weekends of the season, that might be easier said than done.

READ MORE: All to know about Williams Racing from team principal to Mercedes ties

Williams would be making a mistake dropping Mercedes power units for Honda

Team principal James Vowles has positioned Williams really well this year after a difficult period in the outfit’s history.

Even though they finished ninth in the constructors’ championship, there were signs that things were going in the right direction at Williams.

Vowles didn’t sacrifice Williams’ long-term goals to rush through updates or new parts during a campaign where there was very little at stake.

Albon has looked imperious this season, and while Sainz is having some initial struggles at Williams, both drivers have the potential to win races in the right car.

One of the key factors that give Williams so much hope for the future is the Mercedes power unit they’ll be using next season.

Albon cited the Mercedes engine as a key reason for staying at Williams when he signed his new contract last year.

There are no guarantees that Honda will make Aston Martin a front-running team next season, but Williams’ experience with Mercedes should make them a more competitive outfit.