Adrian Newey has admitted that Honda’s progress during the 2026 Formula 1 season has fallen short of expectations, leaving Aston Martin facing a considerable challenge ahead of 2027. Speaking at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, the Aston Martin team principal acknowledged that the Japanese manufacturer’s power unit remains behind its rivals, but stressed that improving competitiveness requires more than simply increasing engine output.
The first year of Aston Martin’s new works partnership with Honda has proved considerably more difficult than anticipated. With only a few races remaining in the 2026 championship, the Japanese manufacturer’s development programme has yet to produce the improvements the Silverstone team had hoped for. Nevertheless, Adrian Newey remains confident in Honda’s technical capabilities and believes closer integration between the power unit and chassis will be essential to the team’s recovery.
Adrian Newey compares Honda’s 2026 struggles with Red Bull’s 2019 partnership
Adrian Newey was asked to compare Honda’s current relationship with Aston Martin to the partnership that began in 2019, when Red Bull became the Japanese manufacturer’s works team.
Having worked closely with Honda during his time at Red Bull, the British engineer understands the manufacturer’s capabilities and the challenges involved in developing a competitive Formula 1 power unit.
However, Adrian Newey acknowledged that Honda is currently further behind than it was when its official partnership with Red Bull began.
“I think that, at the moment, to be honest, Honda is a little further behind than it was when Red Bull began the works partnership in 2019,” Adrian Newey explained. “But four seasons had already passed since Honda returned to Formula 1 in 2015. This, by contrast, is the first year of the new cycle.”
The distinction is important. When Honda began supplying Red Bull in 2019, the Japanese manufacturer had already spent four years rebuilding its Formula 1 programme following its return in 2015.
The introduction of the new power unit regulations in 2026 has presented manufacturers with a different technical challenge. Although Adrian Newey recognises Honda’s current deficit, he believes the circumstances surrounding the two partnerships must be considered when assessing the manufacturer’s progress.
Adrian Newey admits Honda’s development has disappointed Aston Martin
Adrian Newey was more direct when asked whether Honda’s development work during the 2026 season had met the expectations established at the beginning of the year.
The Aston Martin team principal acknowledged that the Japanese manufacturer had probably been disappointed by the progress achieved so far.
“I think it’s fair to say that Honda has probably been a little disappointed with how much progress it has managed to make this year,” Adrian Newey admitted.
“But, as so often happens in these situations, that only strengthens the determination to improve. The future is obviously what matters for both companies. They are very determined. These things don’t change overnight, but they now have a lot of good people and many well-established working processes.”
His assessment suggests that Honda’s difficulties concern not only the performance deficit with which it began the season, but also the pace at which it has been able to reduce that gap.
Despite those problems, Adrian Newey remains encouraged by the manufacturer’s determination and the organisational changes introduced during its development programme. The British engineer believes Honda has established important foundations for future progress, even if the results have not yet been fully reflected in its performance on track.
Honda’s ADUO figures confirm power deficit, but Adrian Newey stresses wider F1 performance
Adrian Newey declined to discuss specific technical details of Honda’s power unit, explaining that Aston Martin and its Japanese partner must protect their confidential development information.
However, he pointed towards the FIA’s Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities system, known as ADUO, as an indication of the manufacturer’s current deficit.
The system evaluates power unit performance and provides additional development opportunities to manufacturers whose engines fall sufficiently far behind the leading benchmark. The FIA has already confirmed additional allowances for Honda under the 2026 ADUO review process.
“The current deficit is fairly clear. You can see it in the ADUO,” Adrian Newey explained. “Of course, the ADUO only measures power and, as we know, there are many other factors that contribute to the overall performance of a power unit once it is installed in the chassis.”
When asked to estimate how much of Aston Martin’s performance deficit could be attributed to the chassis and how much to the Honda engine, Adrian Newey declined to provide percentages.
Instead, he suggested that analysing GPS data would allow observers to develop a clearer picture of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the car and its power unit.
The distinction reflects the complexity of Formula 1’s current technical regulations. Engine output remains important, but a car’s competitiveness also depends on how effectively the power unit interacts with the chassis, aerodynamic configuration and other systems.
Adrian Newey agrees with Ferrari: Lap time matters more than outright horsepower
One of the most significant aspects of Adrian Newey’s assessment concerned the relationship between the power unit and the complete car.
The Aston Martin team principal was asked about Ferrari’s approach to engine development, which places greater emphasis on overall lap time than simply maximising horsepower.
Adrian Newey expressed complete agreement with that philosophy, explaining that the ultimate objective must be to produce the fastest possible car rather than concentrate exclusively on engine output.
“I completely agree with what Ferrari has said. It’s not just about the power measured at the crankshaft, but the package as a whole,” Adrian Newey explained.
“What matters is making the car faster. And that is exactly what we are constantly working on with Honda: finding the overall solution that delivers the best lap time.”
His comments underline why Aston Martin’s recovery cannot depend exclusively on Honda producing additional power. The team must also determine how to integrate the Japanese manufacturer’s power unit more effectively with the chassis designed by Adrian Newey and his technical department.
A stronger engine alone would not necessarily guarantee improved performance if the additional output compromised other aspects of the car’s behaviour or overall efficiency.
For Aston Martin, the challenge is therefore to develop a package in which the engine, chassis and aerodynamic characteristics complement each other. That cooperation will be particularly important as the team prepares its 2027 Formula 1 car.
Adrian Newey explains Lawrence Stroll’s meeting with Honda after Singapore
Following Aston Martin’s disappointing Singapore Grand Prix weekend, Lawrence Stroll travelled to Japan to meet senior representatives of Honda.
The visit attracted attention because of the difficulties experienced by the partnership during its first season. However, Adrian Newey clarified that it was not an extraordinary meeting arranged in response to the team’s recent performances.
“It was a scheduled meeting. Honda and Aston Martin hold meetings between their respective senior executives every two or three months, and this was one of those meetings,” Adrian Newey explained.
“The rest of the group, including myself, took part remotely.”
The clarification indicates that the meeting formed part of the regular communication structure between the two organisations rather than representing an exceptional intervention following the Singapore result.
Maintaining that cooperation will be crucial as Aston Martin and Honda continue working to address the performance limitations that have affected the AMR26 throughout the 2026 season.
Aston Martin and Honda see promising developments for 2027 but remain cautious
With the current championship approaching its conclusion, attention is increasingly shifting towards the 2027 Formula 1 season.
Adrian Newey confirmed that Honda is working on several development projects, some of which remain at an early stage. Aston Martin believes there are encouraging possibilities within that programme, although the team principal is reluctant to predict exactly how much progress can be achieved before the start of next season.
“There are many projects under way, some still in their early stages, but we see quite a few promising prospects,” Adrian Newey explained.
“It’s too early to comment on exactly what level the power unit will be at the start of next season and whether, if the regulations allow it, there could be further developments ahead of the eighth race.”
The uncertainty reflects the considerable work still required from Honda. Although the manufacturer has introduced changes during 2026 and continues to explore new technical solutions, Aston Martin cannot yet be certain how competitive its power unit will become in 2027.
Adrian Newey’s comments nevertheless demonstrate that the partnership retains confidence in its long-term direction. Honda’s technical resources, engineering expertise and determination provide reasons for optimism, even though the speed of its recovery remains difficult to predict.
For Aston Martin, the priority is to ensure that the improvements made by Honda and those developed within its own technical department produce a genuine increase in performance when combined.
The first season of the partnership has fallen well short of its objectives, but Adrian Newey is not presenting those difficulties as evidence that the project cannot succeed. Instead, he believes the route back towards competitiveness requires patience, effective cooperation and a development strategy that treats the power unit and chassis as parts of the same technical package.
With 2027 approaching, that integrated approach could prove decisive in determining whether Aston Martin and Honda can overcome their disappointing start and begin delivering the performance originally expected from their ambitious Formula 1 partnership.
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