Honda’s High-Stakes Return to Formula 1: A Strategic Move to Merge Performance, Electrification, and Brand Power
Honda has a long and storied history in Formula 1, with multiple entries and exits over the past 60 years. According to Honda Global CEO Toshihiro Mibe, the company’s decision to return to F1 in 2026 is a calculated business move to merge performance, electrification, and brand relevance. “Business is going good sometimes, and going bad sometimes,” Mibe told a roundtable of reporters, including Observer, in Mexico City last week, ahead of the F1 World Championship Grand Prix. “So, sometimes we quit [racing] to focus on the core business,” he said through a translator.
Next year, Honda will return to F1 as a standalone team, as the sport grows in global popularity and the Japanese auto giant navigates shifting consumer appetite for EVs, hybrids, and internal combustion engine vehicles. As F1 grows in global popularity as the world’s most elite and expensive racing series, Honda’s comeback isn’t just about chasing podiums. It’s a strategic move to leverage the sport’s massive global audience and showcase the company’s technological prowess.
Honda’s Approach to Racing and Brand Recognition
Honda’s approach to racing has always centered on building brand recognition. The company began its racing journey with motorcycles in the 1960s, when founder Soichiro Honda believed that entering F1 was the only way for the small Japanese carmaker to be taken seriously on the global stage. At the time, Honda had barely begun building cars—let alone the powerful machines needed for F1. 
The Role of F1 in Honda’s Business Strategy
Honda won its first F1 race in 1965 with the RA272, a car it brought back to Mexico City last week to commemorate the 60th anniversary of that victory. Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda took on the challenge of driving the vintage F1 car around Mexico’s 2.5-mile track ahead of the race on Oct. 26. Though the car stalled twice and needed a push out of the pits, it was a sight to behold. The event highlighted Honda’s rich history in F1 and its commitment to the sport.
