Honda replace F1 boss after nightmare Aston Martin season

Honda have made a change to the head of their F1 power unit department after a catastrophic first season back in the sport with Aston Martin.

Honda's most recent F1 foray came with Red Bull, helping Max Verstappen win his first world championship, then after offering assistance to Red Bull's RBPT programme to help the team build their own in-house engines that helped the Dutchman collect another three titles.

With a track record like that, Aston Martin could have expected to be delighted to sign Honda up for the new rules and regulations in F1 this season, but it's been anything but a smooth ride.

Although Aston Martin's own chassis design meant it was already near the back of the field, they were not helped by Honda producing one of the most underpowered power units on the grid.

The Japanese giant offered a small upgrade at the Dutch Grand Prix in late August, but Aston Martin continue to linger around the back of the grid in a season they would have been hoping to be in a position to challenge for victories having hired design genius Adrian Newey.

Newey himself has already admitted that he was left stunned when he discovered that many of the key figures working on the F1 power units at Red Bull had moved into solar panels projects by the time the Aston Martin and Honda alliance started.

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Honda change F1 power unit project

An announcement from Honda though has confirmed a change in leadership of their F1 project which will come into effect from October 1, with Tetsushi Kakuda, a key figure from the Red Bull days, to be replaced by his assistant Yoichiro Fukao.

Honda said: "Honda Racing Corporation will implement a change in the leadership of its F1 Power Unit (PU) development programme, effective October 1st, 2026, with the aim of further accelerating PU development and ensuring a smooth transition to the next generation of engineers," Honda said in a statement.

"Yoichiro Fukao, currently serving as Assistant LPL (Deputy Leader of the F1 Project, Head of the Software Division), will assume the role of LPL (Large Project Leader), succeeding Tetsushi Kakuda, who has led the PU development to date.

"This organisational change is a planned transition designed to ensure the reliable transfer of technical expertise to the next generation of engineers."

Honda are already promising Aston Martin a 'big step' with their engine to come before the 2027 season.

This comes after back in May they were already offered assistance beyond the FIA's AUDO (Additional Upgrade and Development Opportunities), while FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem last week offered to help Honda and Aston Martin as part of his desperate bid to convince Fernando Alonso to stay in F1.

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