Honda has announced a change in the leadership of the Formula 1 project. The Japanese engine supplier appoints Yoichiro Fukao as the new leader, succeeding Tetsushi Kakuda. This year, Honda is the engine supplier for Aston Martin for the first time, the team currently sitting second to last in the championship with three world championship points.
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Honda is working with Aston Martin for the first time this season. So far, the collaboration has not exactly borne fruit. Drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll have consistently been at the back of the field all season. Honda now announces a leadership change halfway through the first Formula 1 season of the partnership.
From October 1, the Japanese engine supplier will replace the leader of the Formula 1 engine program. Yoichiro Fukao will then take on the role of ‘Large Project Leader’, succeeding Tetsushi Kakuda. Kakuda oversaw the development of the engine for all four Red Bull cars with which Max Verstappen won his world titles.
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‘Planned transition’
Honda itself hopes that the leadership change will both accelerate the ‘development of the engine’ and ensure a ‘smooth transition to the next generation of engineers’. According to the Japanese engine supplier, the transition was already planned. “After the introduction of the new regulations in 2026, and with further regulatory changes expected from 2027, Honda aims to establish a robust development framework and deliver a highly competitive engine by switching to the new structure at an early stage,” the engine supplier concludes.
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