SUZUKA.- For 40 years, Sling He has won everything with myths of the Formula 1 as Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost either Max Verstappenand with the single-seaters of McLaren, Williams and Red Bull. But the prestigious Japanese engine builder is in full storm this year with Aston Martin.
This weekend the Japanese Grand Prixa very special event every year for Honda, but the situation is far from idyllic for the Japanese brand: the Aston Martin drivers, the Canadian Lance Stroll and the Spanish veteran Fernando Alonsoare last in the classification, after having abandoned the first two Grand Prix, in Australia and in China.
The main cause of these poor results was the very significant vibrations of the electrical part of the Honda engine, a technical setback that even caused pain in the hands of Alonso, the most experienced driver in the paddock at 44 years old.
Stroll, 27, said at his Suzuka news conference that he hoped his team could solve “the vibration problem, improve reliability and gain performance.”
Asked by journalists on the occasion of the free trials at the Japanese circuit, 375 km from Tokyo, the president of Honda Racing Corporation, Koji Watanabehe defended himself.
“The biggest difficulty comes from the fact that we have launched the development (of the car) a little later than the other teams,” he justified.
Japan, a motor country
“The vibrations are at an acceptable level at the time of the tests on the test bench, but they are much more important once the engine is integrated into the chassis,” added Watanabe, who thus seems to reject responsibility for the structure of the Aston Martin car.
For him it is “evident that the engine (50% electric and 50% term) could not solve the problem on its own” and he assured that Honda and Aston Martin “work closely” at their facilities in Japan and the United Kingdom.
Honda’s chief engineer for F1, Shintaro Oriharahad recognized this week that his brand, with a great reputation in motorsports and motorcycling, is not “in the place where it would like to be” in Formula 1 this season, especially when it comes to the Grand Prix in its country, which has other prominent companies in the motor sector, such as toyota, nissan either Mazda.
In Formula 1, Honda has managed to build an enviable track record in its history.
He has accumulated six constructors’ world champion titles, associated with Williams and McLaren in the 80s, 90s and 2010s, and more recently with Red Bull.
At the same time, he has accompanied the Brazilians to world driver titles. Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Sennathe French Alain Prostthe British Nigel Mansell and the dutch Max Verstappen.
Changes at Aston Martin?
But this season, in its partnership with Aston Martin, Honda is last in the overall constructors’ standings.
At the British team based in Silverstone, north of London, they are opting for a low profile for now.
Rumors circulate incessantly around the director of Aston Martin F1, the British engineer Adrian Newey (67 years old), which led Williams, McLaren and Red Bull to win twelve constructors’ World Championships.
According to the specialized media Motorsport.com, Newey, who arrived at Aston Martin a year ago, will be replaced by his compatriot Jonathan Wheatleywho has just left his position as director of the new team after just a few months Audi F1alluding to “personal reasons.”
The boss of Aston Martin, Lawrence Strollrefused last week to comment on “rumors and speculation”, thinking about being able to change the course of the bad start to the season this weekend in Suzuka.
