Honda dismisses Adrian Newey claim as ‘misunderstanding’
Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey.
Adrian Newey recently claimed that Aston Martin only became aware of Honda’s struggles, and an apparent reduction in its Formula 1 experience, last November.
Those comments have now been called a “misunderstanding” by Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) president Koji Watanabe. He explained that Honda regularly rotates its staff to others projects, but its reassembled F1 power unit operation is sufficiently organised and staffed.
Koji Watanabe rejects Adrian Newey Honda concerns at Aston Martin
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Aston Martin and Honda are still working to get fully up to speed, this partnership having endured a troubled start in F1 2026.
While Honda is looking to improve its engine performance – having admitted ahead of its home race at Suzuka that energy deployment was a problem area – Aston Martin has been flagging up vibration issues from the PU.
It was following the Chinese Grand Prix that Fernando Alonso complained of losing feeling in his hands and feet at one stage, due to the vibrations.
Alonso retired the sole remaining Aston Martin after 32 laps, the team citing discomfort from those vibrations as the cause.
It was back in Melbourne that Adrian Newey, Aston Martin’s team principal, claimed that the team were not aware of Honda’s struggles until a Tokyo meeting with the Japanese manufacturer last November.
Newey also suggested that Honda had re-entered Formula 1 with just “30 per cent of their original team”.
With Honda power, Red Bull won two Constructors’ Championships, while Max Verstappen’s four Drivers’ titles were won with a Honda engine.
Honda originally decided to exit Formula 1, but U-turned on that decision to sign up for the new regulations, and partner with Aston Martin.
HRC president Koji Watanabe was asked for Honda’s side to Newey’s comments, about only discovering the issues shortly before the 2025 season ended.
“Basically, I think that it’s a misunderstanding,” said Watanabe at the Japanese Grand Prix.
“Our policy is to rotate the engineers of the motorsports regularly to mass production, or more advanced technologies like jet, or eVTOL [hybrid-electric aircraft] or hydrology, or something like that.
“To rebuild the organisation takes good time. So that was his worry, I think so. But we have sufficient organisation and the talent.”
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With Newey having pointed the finger at Honda at that time, also talking about the Aston Martin AMR26 chassis being the “fifth-best” chassis, Watanabe gave an update on Honda and Aston Martin relations.
“The relationship between Aston Martin, Aramco and Honda is quite good,” he confirmed.
“Myself and Mr. Stroll, or myself and Adrian Newey, is quite a good relation, so I have no worry about that.”
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