Honda targets major 2027 step after painful Aston Martin F1 start
Honda shifts focus from damage limitation to 2027
Honda’s return to Formula 1 with Aston Martin has started more painfully than expected, but the Japanese manufacturer is now looking beyond its difficult opening months. The project is operating with a very different group of personnel from Honda’s successful partnership with Red Bull, and the scale of the challenge only became clear in January.
Shintaro Orihara, Honda’s general trackside manager and chief engineer, acknowledged that the start of the new era had proved problematic. The immediate response will arrive at Zandvoort, where Honda plans to introduce its first ADUO upgrade of the year. The package is focused entirely on the internal combustion engine and is intended to return Honda to the “racing field” in terms of performance.
That upgrade will not, however, close the deficit on its own. Honda expects to require several further steps, with the most ambitious work already centred on 2027. The manufacturer’s plans are discussed alongside the wider Aston Martin recovery effort in this recent assessment of the team’s prospects.
Combustion performance and chassis integration
Honda’s development priorities extend beyond outright engine output. The manufacturer is also working with Aston Martin to improve how its power unit is integrated into the team’s new chassis, designed by Adrian Newey. After a year of experience working together, Orihara sees an opportunity to make that relationship more effective for next season.
“We are talking closely with Aston Martin to integrate our power unit better into their new chassis,” Orihara said. “So, yes, we are now focusing on developing a good engine for 2027 and also working closely with Aston Martin behind the scenes.”
For 2027, Honda will continue to prioritise combustion performance, despite changes to the fuel-flow rate. Orihara said the company wants to deliver “some bigger steps” in that area.
Reliability adds another layer of difficulty
Honda’s recovery target is ambitious. It wants to be closer to the leading power-unit manufacturer at the beginning of 2027, then continue pushing to become a top competitor during 2027 or 2028. Orihara stressed that no exact timetable can be guaranteed because performance is always relative to rivals.
Reliability will be just as important as performance. Improving combustion while increasing the fuel-flow rate will place significant demands on development, with limited time available. Orihara described the challenge as substantial, but welcomed the decision to introduce the power increase in two stages rather than as one larger step.
For Honda, the route back to the front is therefore clear: recover competitive engine performance at Zandvoort, improve chassis integration with Aston Martin, and deliver a larger, reliable step in 2027.
Simone Scanu
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.