Formula 1 continues to make quirky companions, with the news that Honda and Aston Martin are going to romp in 2026… probably without Fernando Alonso, who has been persona non grata at the Japanese company since they fell out of love during the McLaren-Honda defeat a few years ago.
It’s a bizarre brand mismatch, a bit like a Duchess marrying a miner, but it has to. Aston Martin needs its own engine supplier, but it can’t afford to do its own thing, and Honda needs a team that will be somewhat competitive with which it hasn’t fallen off before…
The team will be called Aston Martin Aramco Honda. Such an alliance should make head of the team Lawrence Stroll, as a brand expert in the world of fashion, wince, because he is no different from Louis Vuitton selling his suitcases at Walmart, but it seems to prove that what really matters is not the brand, but the whole. F1’s agenda is to make Lance Stroll world champion.
The Aston Martin brand, for all we know, may be owned by Geely until 2026, although the racing team has been licensed to use the car company’s name and scholarship for many years…
Who knows, maybe the 2026 Honda Civic will be badged as a Honda Aston?
