Honda has revealed how its relationship with Fernando Alonso has changed as the Japanese manufacturer prepares an important upgrade for Aston Martin. After the tensions that defined their years together at McLaren, Honda Racing chief engineer Shintaro Orihara says Fernando Alonso now trusts the company and that his constant requests are helping to improve the overall package.
The partnership between Fernando Alonso and Honda was troubled almost from the beginning. The disagreements date back to 2015, when the Japanese manufacturer returned to Formula 1 as McLaren’s power-unit supplier and became involved in repeated exchanges with the two-time world champion.
The most famous episode was Fernando Alonso’s “GP2 engine” radio message, which went down in Formula 1 history as an expression of his frustration with the performance of the McLaren-Honda package.
Fernando Alonso and Honda rebuild trust at Aston Martin
Things now appear to have changed, at least to some extent. Fernando Alonso has evolved with age—he celebrated his 45th birthday on 29 July—while Honda seems to have buried the hatchet. That, at least, is the impression created by the latest comments from Honda Racing’s chief engineer.
The Spanish driver has never been an easy customer, but the Japanese manufacturer has shown considerable willingness to listen to his feedback and fulfil his requests in an effort to improve the performance of the entire Aston Martin package.
According to RacingNews365.com, Shintaro Orihara said: “Fernando Alonso’s experience is invaluable and his point of view is fundamental. Working with him is certainly an advantage. His interest is in improving the performance of the car. He floods us with constant requests, and we respect his opinion.”
Shintaro Orihara added: “For our part, we want to provide him with the tools he wants. We work closely with him, recognising the quality of the driver in front of us. Fernando Alonso trusts us, and that is why we want to fulfil his requests. That is our objective.”
Major Honda upgrade expected at the Dutch Grand Prix
Aston Martin approved a substantial update package for the Hungarian Grand Prix, helping the team make a significant step forward. Fernando Alonso has since expressed confidence in the potential of the upgraded Aston Martin AMR26B, but Honda must now play its part in maintaining that progress.
An important Honda upgrade is expected at the Dutch Grand Prix when Formula 1 returns from the summer break. Further details suggest the Honda engine update could provide a major performance gain at Zandvoort.
The objective is for the upgrade to put Aston Martin in contention for Q3. At the very least, that is the hope within the team and for Fernando Alonso as the championship resumes at the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix.
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