Aston Martin is running a home race during the upcoming race weekend in Japan. The British team has been using Honda engines since this year, but that has not yet delivered the desired success. On the contrary: drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll have not completed a single race due to the deficient powertrain. In the run-up to the Grand Prix, Honda boss Koji Watanabe outlines a clear picture of the current state of affairs.
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“We started a new season with Aston Martin and it is no secret that we are currently struggling with performance on the track,” Watanabe said during the official FIA press conference.
“I think there are several reasons for that. First, the new regulations are of course a considerable challenge for us. Second, we stopped our F1 activities at the end of 2021, before returning in 2023. It took us time to rebuild the organization and resume F1 development.”
Adrian Newey noted during the opening race in Melbourne that Honda had to make do with only 30 percent of the original engineering team: “They started with a significant disadvantage and struggled to catch up,” the Englishman explained at the time. According to Watanabe, however, this is a misconception; he emphasizes that Honda has always worked the same way. “Our policy is to regularly rotate engineers to mass production or more advanced technologies; we have always done it that way,” the Japanese explained. “Of course it took time to rebuild the organization and he (Newey, ed.) was probably concerned about that. But now we have a strong organization with sufficient talent.”
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Close cooperation
Watanabe confirmed that Honda prioritizes reliability and vibration issues, although attention is gradually being paid to performance as well. “At the moment we are focusing on reducing vibrations, particularly the damage to the battery section,” he said. “But for Suzuka we have also improved energy management, with a view to better performance. We work closely with Aston Martin, not only on technical matters, but on all fronts, to build a strong partnership. At our facility in Japan, Aston Martin engineers work side by side with our own people. The most important thing is that we continue to make progress step by step.”
It is striking that Honda has won multiple championships with Red Bull in recent years. Where has that competitiveness gone, many fans wonder. “We have enough experience,” Watanabe admitted. “The problem is mainly that we started development later than the competition. For example, the vibrations on the test bench were acceptable, but only became a problem when we actually integrated the engine into the chassis. The powertrain alone cannot solve this. We are in close contact with Aston Martin to also improve the chassis.”
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