Honda’s Formula 1 chief engineer, Shintaro Orihara, stated that the conclusion of the Japanese GP represented an important step forward for the project with Aston Martin. The race marked the first time this season that the team managed to bring the car to the checkered flag.
Read more F1: Brundle sees open championship and demands technical progress from Ferrari
“We completed the full race distance,” Orihara told the press. “This is a good step in terms of reliability. We are working hard to improve the battery’s delivery capacity.”
The start of the partnership, however, was difficult. Honda’s power unit showed reliability issues in pre-season testing, with significant vibrations that led Fernando Alonso to retire from the Chinese Grand Prix. Orihara highlighted that the evolution work is ongoing, but without immediate solutions:
Read more F1: Coulthard sees Mercedes battle as a “war zone”
“But on the other hand, also at the Sakura factory, we are working hard to improve engine performance,” he added. “We are also working hard to evaluate and optimize energy management. [We must also] develop engine performance mechanically; it is not a short-term job. Therefore, we will continue to work hard, implementing performance improvements in the background.”
“But we gathered a lot of information [in Japan] over the race distance, which gives us more data to improve drivability and also energy management. This provides us with good data for the next four weeks until Miami,” he concluded.
Read more F1: Brundle criticizes Verstappen’s attitude and cites Schumacher
