Koji Watanabe: Aston Martin and Honda are one team

      On Friday, Honda Racing Corporation President Koji Watanabe answered journalists' questions…

      Question: The start of the season has been challenging for Honda. Could you briefly discuss the main issues with your power unit? Koji Watanabe: We started the new season together with Aston Martin and, as you know, we are currently experiencing certain difficulties on the track. There are several reasons for this.

      Firstly, the new power distribution rules present a significant challenge for us. Secondly, we paused our activities in Formula 1 at the end of 2021 and announced our return to Formula 1 in 2023, so for some time our activities were limited.

      It took time to restore the organization and resume development. Now we are closely collaborating with Aston Martin not only in technical areas but also in building a strong partnership. Aston Martin and Honda are not just a constructor and a power unit manufacturer – we are one team. At the base in Sakura, Aston Martin engineers are closely working with our engineers. I believe the most important thing is to keep moving forward step by step.

      Question: Have you made progress compared to the last race in China? Koji Watanabe: Yes. At the moment, we are focused on improving the vibration situation and reducing battery damage. For this stage, we have optimized energy management to enhance performance.

      We have a recovery plan developed in collaboration with Aston Martin, but we cannot disclose it today.

      Question: Many saw how Max Verstappen won four consecutive championship titles with Honda engines. Can you explain how you transitioned from such successful power units to those that are currently experiencing vibration issues? Koji Watanabe: The main difficulty is that we started development a bit later than others. Additionally, during bench tests, the vibration is within acceptable limits, but when we put the engine on a real chassis, it becomes much stronger.

      It's not just about the power unit, so we are closely collaborating with Aston Martin to address the issue not only of the engine but also of the chassis.

      Question: Do you think that after resolving the vibration issue, this year's power unit can reach the necessary efficiency level, or will you focus on preparing for the 2027 season? Koji Watanabe: It's hard to say, but we need to improve not only reliability but also efficiency. Under the current regulations, it's difficult to improve only efficiency, so at the moment we are focused on making overall improvements.

      Question: In Melbourne, Adrian Newey said he learned the real state of the new Honda project in Formula 1 only last November. Could you clarify the background… Koji Watanabe: Our philosophy is to regularly transfer engineers from motorsport to mass production or to departments working with more advanced technologies, such as jet engines, etc. We constantly rotate staff.

      Moreover, as I mentioned, it took some time to restore the organization, and I think that is what concerned him. But now we have enough resources and specialists.