The Big Lead

Honda boss issues worrying statement for Aston Martin ahead of 2026 F1 season

F1's new engine regulations are proving problematic for Honda as they prepare for the 2026 campaign.

By Simon Head

Oct 18, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team driver Lance Stroll (18) of Team Canada drives during practice for the 2024 US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Oct 18, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team driver Lance Stroll (18) of Team Canada drives during practice for the 2024 US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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Aston Martin may find themselves struggling more than they had anticipated in 2026 after their engine partner revealed difficulties in developing the power plant for the upcoming regulation changes.

New chassis and engine regulations will come into effect in F1 for the start of the 2026 season as the current iteration of the rules is replaced with a new set of restrictions and rules that will govern the cars that appear on track.

RELATED: F1 technical guru issues championship warning ahead of 2026 season

It poses new challenges for the teams' respective designers and engineers, but also for the engine manufacturers themselves. 

And in an interview with PlanetF1.com, president of Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), Koji Watanabe, has admitted that his team has encountered difficulties in mastering the new regulations while attempting to build a potentially race-winning power unit for the 2026 F1 season.

“We are struggling," Watanabe admitted. 

"Now we are trying our best to show the result next year.

“Everything is new. The motor is a new 355-kW, very compact one we need. 

"Also the lightweight battery, it’s not so easy to develop. And also the small engine with the big power.

“Everything is very difficult, but we try our best.”

Those words will come as a big concern for Aston Martin, who are the sole team partners for Honda in F1 in 2026.

It's a challenge that Aston Martin's incoming managing technical partner Adrian Newey has already spoken about, saying, "I think there has to be a big chance that it's an engine formula at the start." 

With every engine manufacturer likely to be encountering the same difficulties, teams' successes and failures could hinge on which power plant performs best earliest in the season. And with Aston Martin the only team running Honda power in 2026, that could cut both ways.

They could find themselves struggling, or they might just be a step ahead of the competition.

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