Honda changes F1 power unit leadership as Aston Martin struggles continue – Honda, Aston Martin’s Formula 1 power unit supplier, is changing the leadership of its F1 engine development programme as the manufacturer prepares for further regulatory changes. Tetsushi Kakuda will step down as lead project manager for power unit development on October 1, with his deputy Yoichiro Fukao taking over the role.
Honda confirmed the planned personnel change on Monday, describing it as part of a longer-term transition designed to pass technical expertise to the next generation of engineers.
The change comes at a difficult point for Aston Martin. The team has struggled to extract competitive performance from its 2026 package and sits second-last in the Constructors’ Championship with just three points, ahead only of new entrant Cadillac.
Honda prepares next phase of F1 engine development
Honda said the change in leadership is intended to strengthen its development structure as Formula 1 moves through another period of significant technical change.
“This organizational change is a planned transition aimed at ensuring the reliable transfer of technical expertise to the next generation of engineers,” Honda said.
The manufacturer added that the introduction of the 2026 regulations, followed by further changes expected from 2027 onwards, made an early transition to the new structure appropriate.
“With the introduction of new regulations in 2026 and further rule changes expected from 2027 onwards, Honda aims to create a robust development framework and deliver a highly competitive power unit by transitioning to the new structure early.”
Fukao will therefore take responsibility for the programme after previously working as Kakuda’s deputy, providing continuity within Honda’s F1 engine operation.
Aston Martin has struggled under new regulations
Honda’s organisational change comes as Aston Martin continues to search for performance under the latest generation of Formula 1 regulations.
The British team has scored only three World Championship points and is second from the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship. Cadillac, competing in its first F1 season, is the only team behind Aston Martin.
The new regulations have introduced a significantly revised approach to power units, increasing the importance of electrical power while retaining the internal combustion engine.
Honda is working closely with Aston Martin as the team’s exclusive works power unit partner, with the Japanese manufacturer responsible for supplying the engines powering Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
FIA changes future power unit rules
The FIA also approved further changes to the power unit regulations in June, with the balance between electrical and combustion power set to change over the coming years.
Under the current regulations, approximately 47 percent of the power comes from the electric drive. That proportion is scheduled to fall to 40 percent, increasing the relative contribution of the combustion engine.
The changes mean manufacturers must continue adapting their development programmes rather than treating the introduction of the 2026 regulations as the end of the transition.
For Honda, the restructuring of its F1 power unit leadership is therefore intended to prepare the programme for those future demands while retaining knowledge accumulated by its existing engineering group.
Alonso’s future adds pressure on Aston Martin
The team’s lack of performance also has implications beyond the Constructors’ Championship.
Fernando Alonso has repeatedly indicated that Aston Martin’s competitiveness will be an important factor in determining his future with the team. The two-time world champion remains committed to the project, but the pace of the car has increasingly become a central issue.
At the Spanish Grand Prix, Alonso finished 17th, while teammate Lance Stroll failed to finish after suffering brake problems.
Honda’s personnel change does not itself indicate a withdrawal or major restructuring of its Aston Martin partnership. Instead, the manufacturer has presented the move as a planned succession designed to strengthen its power unit operation ahead of the next stages of Formula 1’s technical regulations.
For Aston Martin, however, the timing underlines the scale of the challenge facing the team as it attempts to turn its Honda partnership into a competitive advantage.
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