Honda president cites two-year F1 gap as cause of Aston Martin's struggles

Honda Racing Corporation President Koji Watanabe has identified a two-year hiatus from Formula 1 as a primary reason for the power unit issues plaguing Aston Martin this season. The team, which became Honda's new works partner for 2026, is currently mired in a performance crisis, with its cars languishing at the back of the grid during Japanese Grand Prix practice sessions. Watanabe emphasized the challenge of new power unit regulations and the time needed to rebuild Honda's F1 organization after its 2021 exit.