Vatanabe: There will be no significant and rapid changes.

      In the history of the long relationship between Honda and Formula 1, there have been periods of failure, enough to recall what happened with McLaren in 2015, when the Japanese engine manufacturers, returning to the World Championship, began supplying their hybrid power units to this team.

      There were probably just as many problems then as there are now, but Honda specialists managed to cope, although it did not happen immediately. Success did not come right away, and not with McLaren: in 2019, Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen won for the first time in a car with a Japanese engine. After that, until Honda's official departure from Formula 1, Red Bull Racing drivers won another 15 Grands Prix, and Verstappen became world champion for the first time at the end of 2021.

      Honda hopes that in this new chapter of history, now associated with Aston Martin, they will gradually be able to return to their previous level of results. However, everyone is interested in how an authoritative manufacturer of racing engines could find itself in the current, rather unenviable position?

      “It is important to recognize that the current situation is fundamentally different from the period when we worked with Red Bull,” said Koji Watanabe, president of Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), in an interview with the official championship website. “The technical regulations are quite complex now, cooperation with Aston Martin is at a very early stage, and Aramco and lubricant supplier Valvoline are also new partners for us. In general, all of this is new, so the situation is not easy.”

      Watanabe also emphasized that although at the end of 2021 Honda's management decided to wind down its program in Formula 1, the company continued to provide technical support to both Red Bull teams until 2025 inclusive. Therefore, the Japanese company currently finds itself in an unfavorable position compared to other power unit manufacturers, as the decision to return to the championship and become the exclusive supplier for Aston Martin was made only a little over three years ago.

      “Recovering from the pause associated with our previous departure from the championship takes time,” Watanabe continued. “We started developing the power unit late, and it also took time to recreate the necessary capabilities and bring back talented specialists – all of this was also a significant factor.”

      For almost the entire year, Honda engineers have been urgently addressing various problems caused by their new power unit, but they continue to work hard, gradually achieving more reliable operation; in particular, they have managed to significantly reduce the level of vibrations. The next stage will focus on improving the efficiency of the RA626H.

      At the moment, the main focus is on the internal combustion engine (ICE), and although there is hope that Honda will be able to make a step forward, miracles are not to be expected.

      “There will not be a significant and rapid change in the situation, so our approach remains the same, and we will continue to work with a long-term perspective in mind,” Watanabe acknowledged. “The partnership with Aston Martin is a new project for us, and I believe that a strong and constructive collaboration can only be built over time.

      We are already on our way to this, and I often communicate with Lawrence Stroll. This kind of honest exchange of views helps strengthen the partnership. He is confident in Honda's capabilities, although, of course, he is currently dissatisfied with the results, but I am also dissatisfied with the current situation. Therefore, we often discuss how to get out of it – it is about improving the efficiency not only of the power unit but also of the chassis and the team's overall performance.

      Taking on another challenge in Formula 1 is part of Honda's DNA, and in this regard, HRC's determination remains at the same level. Our program is long-term. The company's management takes the current situation very seriously; the current results are unsatisfactory to anyone. Everyone understands that improvements must be made, and there is a clear understanding that the results of the project should not be assessed this year, but in the medium or long term.

      Management continues to provide us with full support and hopes for a gradual resolution of the problems we face.”