Honda remained in a supporting role to the Milton Keynes-based squad\u2019s continued use of its engines, but was explicitly involved in the sport like other OEMs.<\/p>\n
But it has pivoted back to F1, and with that, links back up with former Red Bull technical director Adrian Newey, who has designed the AMR26, and will become Aston\u2019s Team Principal.<\/p>\n
The partnership promises, therefore, to be harmonious in most respects, but in an interview with Japanese publication Sportiva, Watanabe revealed that work on the new V6 hybrid engine will continue until the moment the team arrives in Melbourne for Round 1.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are at the stage where specifications are being fixed for the pre-season tests, and assembly is about to commence [as of the first week of December],\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, homologation is at the end of February, so I expect development will continue right up to the very last minute.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Honda](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Honda-F1-3-1024x576.webp.webp\")
Honda is making a full return to F1 with Aston Martin<\/p>\n
\u2018We still need more time\u2019: Watanabe unsure of Honda progress compared to F1 rivals<\/p>\n
Watanabe admitted it is currently unclear how close Honda is to other OEMs that will power cars on the grid this year, as well as the \u201cmixed bag\u201d results it has currently produced in testing.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven the uncertainty surrounding rival manufacturers\u2019 progress, it remains a battle to see how close we can get to our own self-imposed targets. Frankly, we still need more time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re advancing development by incrementally assessing performance gains from integrating various components. Some prove successful, others fail unexpectedly \u2013 it\u2019s a mixed bag.\u201d<\/p>\n
When pushed on a rough idea of where Honda currently is, Watanabe said:\u00a0\u201cTo be honest, not everything is going well, so there are many areas where we are struggling, but nothing fatal has happened that we cannot overcome.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn this situation, we are quietly concentrating on improving performance and reliability.<\/p>\n
\u201cAston Martin also wants to keep building cars that reflect Adrian\u2019s vision, so I think the next step for us on the power unit side is to figure out how to adapt to that.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf doing so increases our competitiveness and makes us more likely to win, then we\u2019ll do whatever it takes!\u201d<\/p>\n