Honda “Hasn’t Even Discussed” WEC Bid with ARX-06

Honda Racing Corporation has denied speculation it could be gearing up for a FIA World Endurance Championship effort, despite its ongoing success in North America with the Acura ARX-06 LMDh car.

HRC President Koji Watanabe explained in an exclusive interview with Sportscar365 that the Japanese marque’s preparations for its re-entry into Formula 1 as a works power unit supplier continue to take priority over all else amid persistent rumors of a WEC bid.

He said the idea of taking the ARX-06 that currently races in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTP class with Meyer Shank Racing, and recently won at Detroit, to the WEC has not even been discussed internally by Honda.

Referring to remarks he made early last year saying that WEC wouldn’t become a possibility for Honda until its preparations for F1’s new-for-2026 power unit regulations had settled down, Watanabe said: “The situation hasn’t changed.

“As far as Honda’s global priorities in motorsport go, first we have Formula 1 and then we have MotoGP, and we are determined to win in both. 

“In terms of our preparations for F1, we have now entered our busiest and most difficult period in terms of workload. At the moment, we are fully focused on that. 

“It’s only after this [period] that we can consider what other possibilities there might be for our racing activities, but with F1 still taking priority over all else. 

“So, at the moment, we do not have any plans to participate in the WEC at all. That said, it is a category that interests me personally.”

Watanabe was also unmoved when asked whether the likely forthcoming extension of the Hypercar ruleset through 2032, set to be confirmed ahead of this week’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, would make it easier for Honda to commit to the WEC.

“We haven’t even discussed it internally yet,” he replied.

Acura is the only IMSA GTP entrant that has not entered the WEC so far, despite its deepening involvement in the WeatherTech Championship, with the No. 93 car being run with the help of HRC US engineers.

HRC-contracted driver Kaku Ohta was also added to the lineup of the No. 93 for the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and is set for further outings in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen and at the Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Watanabe said that HRC is keen to use its involvement in the MSR program as a learning experience to help inform the possibility of works entries in four-wheel racing in the future, although he did not specify any particular category this could apply to.

“HRC US is doing race operations for the first time, so we are still at the stage of learning to what extent we can take on these tasks,” said Watanabe. 

“So far I’ve only been at Daytona, but I think we’ve found a lot of areas where we are lacking and still need to gain experience. 

“From now on, we want to improve in these areas and make things more professional, so that we can take on such tasks by ourselves in the future.”

Watanabe also stated that Honda has no plans to build a successor to the NSX GT3 following the end of the marque’s works support for the car at the end of last year.

He clarified HRC had no involvement in the creation of the NSX GT3 Evo25, produced by JAS Motorsport for use in the Italian GT championship, and did not consider pursuing a similar path given production of the equivalent road car concluded in 2023.