As RaceFans reports, Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey has shared that Honda is feeling a little disappointed with its lack of progress during this first year back in Formula 1. The journey has not been straightforward for the manufacturer. They faced serious vibration and reliability problems with their power unit right at the start of the season.
Those early troubles prompted the FIA to step in back in May, revising the rules to allow Honda to spend more money on development. Upgrades have since been introduced to the power unit, but the team's position on the track tells a tough story. Aston Martin remains stuck 10th in the championship, sitting only ahead of Cadillac.
“I think it’s fair to say that Honda have probably been a little bit disappointed with how much progress they have managed to make this year,” Newey stated. Yet, he pointed out that the frustration has only served to strengthen their resolve moving forward. “They are very determined. These things don’t change overnight, but they have a lot of good people and a lot of good processes now in place.”
When looking back, Newey noted that this current situation does not measure up directly to his previous experience working alongside Honda during his time at Red Bull starting in 2019. In truth, he explained that Honda is currently a little behind where Red Bull picked them up as a works team back in 2019, which happened to be four seasons after their initial return in 2015.
Even so, this marks just the first year back in this latest chapter. Calling them a great company, Newey expressed full confidence that they will accelerate quickly and figure out the exact problems presented by these particular power unit regulations.
