Honda and Aston Martin used the recent Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona to hold an informal team meeting aimed at building trust amid a difficult start to the 2026 Formula 1 season.
HRC president Koji Watanabe said the gathering allowed open communication between the partners. He noted that both sides intend to hold similar meetings more frequently for the rest of the season.
Watanabe acknowledged the challenging start for the power unit but drew parallels to Honda’s difficult 2015 campaign with McLaren that later led to success with Red Bull. He stressed that the teams would not give up despite current frustrations.
Aston Martin has struggled with both its chassis and Honda power unit, leaving the cars at the back of the grid in recent races. Fernando Alonso scored the team’s first point of the season in Monaco but described the overall performance as the weakest on the grid.
