Honda has restructured the leadership of its Formula 1 engine department following a disappointing beginning to its official return to the sport this season. The Japanese manufacturer, which secured four world championships alongside Red Bull and Max Verstappen between 2021 and 2024, partnered with Aston Martin as a works engine supplier for 2026.
However, the collaboration has faced significant challenges, with the team sitting tenth in the constructors’ championship standings and recording only a ninth-place finish as their best result, achieved by Fernando Alonso at the Dutch Grand Prix.
On Monday, Honda announced that Yoichiro Fukao, previously the deputy leader of the project, would assume the role of Large Project Leader for the F1 programme. He succeeds Tetsushi Kakuda, who had overseen power-unit development throughout the current campaign.
In a statement regarding the change, the company described it as a planned transition intended to facilitate the reliable transfer of technical expertise to the next generation of engineers. Honda emphasized that the move aligns with the introduction of new regulations in 2026 and further anticipated rule changes from 2027 onwards, aiming to establish a robust development framework to deliver a highly competitive power unit.
The team introduced its first engine upgrade at the Dutch Grand Prix. Shintaro Orihara, the head of trackside general management, noted that performance metrics showed a step forward, though reports indicate the improvement was smaller than Aston Martin had hoped. The Honda engine is said to lag behind competitors by at least one second per lap, a deficit attributed to both internal combustion efficiency and electrical system operation.
Under 2026 regulations, F1 engines feature an approximately 50-50 split between combustion and electrical power, making energy recovery efficiency critical as batteries undergo nearly complete discharge and recharge cycles each lap. Alonso qualified 2.2 seconds off the pace during the first segment of qualifying at the Spanish Grand Prix last weekend.
Honda’s difficult start is rooted in its complex path back to the grid. In October 2020, the company announced its withdrawal from F1 at the end of 2021. While it continued supplying engines to Red Bull in a reduced capacity until the conclusion of 2025, only a small core of engineers remained on the programme; the rest were reassigned to other areas of the business. Those retained benefited from a performance freeze imposed by F1 rules from 2021 to 2025.
When Honda decided in May 2023 to return officially for 2026, it began rebuilding its engineering team but did not recall the staff responsible for the successful 2021 engine. Instead, it brought in engineers without F1 experience. This season, the company has started recalling seasoned professionals to accelerate progress.
The situation has been particularly frustrating for Alonso, who already endured three years of uncompetitive Honda engines during his previous stint with McLaren from 2015 to 2017. The veteran two-time champion has yet to confirm whether he will continue in Formula 1 after his contract with Aston Martin expires at the end of the season.
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