The engine upgrades Honda promised have not delivered. The Japanese marque rolled out a new power unit at Zandvoort, but three races later it’s clear that there has been no noticeable change. Instead, Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin is now harder to drive while producing almost the same amount of power.
In a recent interview with As-Web Japan, Koji Watanabe, the CEO of HRC, has stepped forward to offer explanations. And the Japanese executive is crystal clear. They will not be able to strengthen their bond with Aston Martin until the team stops blaming the Honda engine for all of the outfit’s ills.
“It’s not useful to say things like ‘it’s the chassis’ or ‘it’s the engine'”
The waters are once again running murky in the Formula 1 Aston Martin team. After the glimmer of hope provided by aerodynamic and chassis improvements from Adrian Newey, the new Honda engine has dampened spirits again. Power remains very weak, and there are now handling issues as well.
The head of HRC, Koji Watanabe, has spoken to a Japanese website to explain what is happening. But there is no self-criticism at Honda. Rather, they urge Aston Martin not to complain about their own mistakes. Watanabe considers that “you cannot strengthen the relationship while blaming the engine for everything.”
According to Watanabe, “it makes no sense to say things like ‘it’s the chassis’ or ‘it’s the engine'” when evaluating Aston Martin’s performance. A direct dig at Fernando Alonso, who in the past pointed to the lack of top speed as the scourge hindering him from achieving better race results.
The problem is that the situation is reaching a breaking point for Honda. In recent weeks, rumors have already surfaced that Aston Martin would be in talks with Mercedes and Red Bull to switch engine suppliers for 2028 if Honda does not improve next season. The Japanese would be left without a team.
Honda has already confirmed that it has brought back a significant portion of the staff who developed the four-time world-champion engine for Red Bull and Max Verstappen in the past, and the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is also prepared to offer extra regulatory assistance to Honda.
The ball is in Tokyo’s court. Honda must build a worthy engine if they want to remain in Formula 1.
Images | Aston Martin
