Honda Chief Clarifies Newey's Comments as a Misunderstanding

Koji Watanabe, the head of Honda, has addressed comments made by Adrian Newey regarding the engine manufacturer's alleged lack of experience, describing them as a 'misunderstanding'. Honda has made a full-time return to F1 this year after ending its previous partnership with Red Bull in 2021. Despite providing technical support for Red Bull's power unit, which led to further world titles and race victories, Honda's comeback has been met with challenges. Newey previously stated that he was unaware of Honda's struggles until November and expressed concern over the limited number of original team members who returned to work on the 2026 power unit for Aston Martin. Watanabe countered that Honda's policy is to regularly rotate engineers between motorsport and other areas like mass production or advanced technologies. He acknowledged that rebuilding the organization took time but asserted that they now have sufficient talent and organization in place. The team is currently battling with newcomers Cadillac at the back of the grid and is over 2.5 seconds off the pace. However, with the new 2026 regulations allowing for Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO), Honda may be able to catch up. Watanabe emphasized the close collaboration between Honda and Aston Martin, stating that they are working together as one team to solve problems and make progress. When asked about the team's recovery plan, Watanabe remained tight-lipped, saying that they cannot disclose that information at present. Meanwhile, Aston Martin is reportedly interested in signing former Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley to replace Newey as team principal, which would enable Newey to focus on technical matters. However, Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa expressed confidence in the team's current structure and organization.