Honda has replaced the head of its Formula 1 engine development programme following a disappointing start to its official return to the sport in partnership with Aston Martin. Yoichiro Fukao, previously deputy leader of the project, has taken over as Large Project Leader from Tetsushi Kakuda, who had led power-unit development this season. The change matters because Honda and Aston Martin are struggling badly, sitting 10th of 11 teams in the constructors' championship, and the move signals the manufacturer's urgency to fix a persistent performance shortfall.

Honda's best result so far is Fernando Alonso's ninth place at the Dutch Grand Prix, where the team introduced its first engine upgrade of the season, though gains were smaller than Aston Martin had hoped. The engine is estimated to be costing at least a second per lap across combustion and electrical performance, significant given 2026's near 50-50 split between the two power sources. Honda's struggles stem from its 2020 withdrawal announcement and subsequent rebuilding of an inexperienced engineering team for its 2026 return, a process it is now trying to accelerate by recalling experienced staff. Alonso, who also endured a difficult Honda spell at McLaren from 2015-17, remains out of contract with Aston Martin beyond this season.