Honda president Koji Watanabe said Adrian Newey’s suggestion that the engine manufacturer lacked experience was a misunderstanding, and he outlined why Honda’s staffing and rebuild took time. Honda returned to F1 full-time this year after ending its works partnership with Red Bull at the end of 2021, although it continued to provide technical support for the power unit used to win further titles until last year. Newey recently said he only became aware of Honda’s struggles in November and noted that roughly 30 percent of the original team that helped Max Verstappen to the 2021 title returned to the full Honda operation that developed Aston Martin’s 2026 power unit.
Watanabe said that comment stemmed from a misconception and explained Honda’s long-standing personnel policy. Engineers are regularly rotated between motorsport work and mass production or advanced technology projects such as jet engines, eVTOLs and other areas, which means the composition of the motorsport team changes continuously. He acknowledged that rebuilding the organisation after the Red Bull era took time, but said Honda now has sufficient structure and talent in place.
Aston Martin have suffered reliability problems this season, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both failing to finish the opening two Grands Prix. Alonso retired in China after strong vibrations that he said affected feeling in his hands and feet. Watanabe highlighted a key difficulty: vibration levels that appear acceptable on the dyno can become much worse once the power unit is integrated into the actual chassis. He stressed that resolving the issue requires close co-operation between Honda and Aston Martin Aramco, addressing both the power unit and chassis together.
On pure pace, Honda currently find themselves behind newcomers Cadillac and are more than 2.5 seconds off the front-running lap times. Under the 2026 regulations there are three windows of Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities, or ADUOs, allowing engine manufacturers that lag the benchmark to introduce in-season upgrades. Teams at least two percent behind the benchmark earn development chances, and if a deficit reaches four percent they may make two in-season upgrades. The first ADUO is due after the sixth round in Monaco in June, though the calendar could change after the cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix in April.
Watanabe emphasised the close working relationship between Honda and Aston Martin Aramco, saying engineers from Aston Martin are working side by side with Honda staff in Sakura and that the partnership operates as one team. He confirmed there is a recovery plan, but declined to disclose specifics.
Separately, Audi announced the unexpected departure of Jonathan Wheatley as team principal at Sauber, citing personal reasons. Sky Sports News reports that Aston Martin have shown interest in Wheatley as a potential replacement for Newey as team principal, a move that would allow Newey to focus on car development in his role as managing technical partner. Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa urged confidence in the existing structure. For now Newey remains both team principal and managing technical partner, and the team says that will not change.