Honda makes new announcement after Bahrain Grand Prix

Aston Martin engine partner Honda has announced that Koji Watanabe, the president and chief executive of the Honda Racing Corporation, is to retire at the end of this year.

He will be replaced by Keiichi Yasuda, the current executive vice president and representative director of HRC. The change will take effect from January 1 2027.

Honda president Koji Watanabe to retire at end of 2026

Watanabe first joined Honda in 1987, rising to the role of president in 2022.

Yasuda will succeed him in the role of president at the start of next year, having started work in Honda’s human resources department in 1990.

He was appointed to his current role earlier this year.

In a statement issued to PlanetF1.com on Monday, Honda said: “Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) announces President and CEO. Koji Watanabe, who currently serves as President and CEO, will retire effective January 1, 2027, and current Executive Vice President and Representative Director Keiichi Yasuda will succeed him as the new President and CEO of HRC.”

Watanabe said: “It is my honor serving as a president of HRC with the wonderful colleagues.

“I embarked on the project to integrate automobile racing development into HRC, as I became responsible for the operation and communication of motorsports as Honda’s Chief Officer for Brand and Communication Operations in 2020.

“HRC previously was a motorcycle racing company, and I integrated automobile racing into it.

“In 2022, I assumed the post of President of the new HRC, unifying both motorcycle and automobile motorsport activities.

“Since then, we decided on our return to F1, expanded our global motorsport structure by reorganizing HPD in the U.S. into HRC US and establishing HRC UK, and worked on building HRC’s global brand.

“For the remaining three months of my presidency, I will continue to do my utmost, aiming for victory until the very end.”

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Yasuda added: “I consider it my mission to firmly inherit the solid foundation built by Watanabe.

“Evolve it further, unite everyone’s vector toward the single goal of winning in races, and make HRC even stronger.

“Leveraging my management experience as president of overseas local entities and my background in HR, I will focus on investing in people and strengthening our organization toward victory.

“I will devote myself to building an HRC whose challenges resonate with our stakeholders and motorsport fans, so that we can share the emotion of victory together.”

The news of Watanabe’s retirement comes after Aston Martin claimed its third points finish of the F1 2026 season in Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Fernando Alonso finished eighth to secure the team’s best result of the campaign to date.

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