Adrian Newey admits Honda is 'behind' but hails 'huge' Aston Martin F1 progress

Adrian Newey has hailed the "huge" progress being made behind the scenes at Aston Martin, but admits its F1 engine partner Honda is still playing catchup after its return to the sport.

The 67-year-old design genius believes his team is beginning to come together, pointing to a growing sense of optimism and collaboration within its engineering department at Silverstone.

However, Newey acknowledged that Honda faces a challenge in adapting to Formula 1's new power unit regulations, although he expressed confidence that the Japanese manufacturer will be able to make up ground quickly.

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Newey hails Aston progress: 'You can feel the buzz'

Speaking at the team principals' press conference ahead of this weekend's US Grand Prix, Newey revealed: "I think we’re making huge amounts of progress. It really feels now like the team’s coming together. The team spirit within the engineering offices, in particular, I think is very strong now.

"I see a lot of ideas being generated, lots of people chatting with each other, working late in the evening. So, very impressed with how the individuals are really kind of… You can just feel… I’m putting it poorly: you can feel the buzz in the factory now."

Honda 'are a little bit behind'

Newey's recent chassis upgrades, particularly the massive package the team brought at the Hungarian Grand Prix in July, have undoubtedly made an impact. Fernando Alonso showcased that change with a brilliant drive to P8 at the recent Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

The big stumbling block though continues to be Honda, which has struggled to produce a power unit which allows Alonso and team-mate Lance Stroll to regularly fight for points.

Newey of course has a history with Honda after all that success of days gone by, and he retains faith in their ability to deliver.

"Honda obviously are working hard. They’re a great company, as we all know, capable of great things, as they’ve proved many times in the past. We are working closely with them and so hopeful of the future."

Despite Newey's faith, the team principal does admit they are starting from further back than when that successful partnership with Red Bull began in 2019.

"I would say, at the moment, in all truth, Honda are a little bit behind where Red Bull, as the works team, RBR, picked up Honda in ’19.

"But that obviously was four seasons after they first came back in ’15. So, this is the first year back in.

"Repeating myself, they are a great company. I have every confidence that they will accelerate quickly and understand the problems of these particular PU regulations."

Newey on that Lawrence Stroll Japan trip

The issues Honda are facing, and what they mean for Aston Martin, were highlighted in a miserable Singapore Grand Prix weekend for the team.

In the immediate aftermath of that race, the rumour mill went wild with reports of billionaire Lawrence Stroll boarding a plane to Japan for talks with Honda.

Newey responded to questioning about that meeting, claiming it was a scheduled catchup which takes place regularly.

"Well, first of all, that was a scheduled meeting, so between Honda and Aston Martin there are what’s called senior executive meetings, which are scheduled once every two or three months, so that was one of them. The rest of us, such as myself, joined online."

So how far behind are Aston Martin and Honda?

Newey was asked to give an opinion on the Honda/Aston Martin power unit's deficit to the rest of the grid, and also the difference between the team's chassis and engine. He provided a measured and diplomatic response to both questions.

"I think, well, the current deficit is fairly clear. It’s seen in the ADUO. The ADUO, of course, is only a power measurement, and as we all know, there are lots of other factors that combine to make the overall performance of the PU installed in the chassis. So, there’s no point in dwelling on that.

"Your other question, so I think relative deficit between chassis and engine, I think, again, it’s probably not for me to say. I think if people look at the GPS, then you can start to get a much better picture from that.

"And then moving forward for 2027, then that’s really, as we discussed earlier. Honda - there’s a lot of energy and projects on the way now that perhaps are in their early stages of development, but we see a lot of promise from those.

"Too early to comment on exactly where the PU will be at the start of the season and whether then, assuming it’s allowed under the PUAC, there will be further. development for what will be race eight at the end of the first period."

Newey's mention of GPS was intriguing, given respected F1 journalist Mark Hughes recently revealing that the data suggests Aston Martin could have been contending for pole at recent races based purely on chassis performance.

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Graham Shaw - Consultant Editor

Digital sports leader with 30 years of senior level experience running global brands. Built sportinglife.com to be a behemoth in the UK as well as being in charge of the Planet Sport network of sites including planetf1.com, football365.com, teamtalk.com and planetrugby.com. Then grew goal.com to be the world's biggest soccer website in 18 languages and 37 territories. Was GM of Portals for Perform Group (now DAZN) with overall responsibility for sportingnews.com, spox.de and voetbalzone.nl.

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