Honda acknowledged the main issue pointed out by Fernando Alonso after the Dutch Formula 1 GP, increasing the pressure for the next stage, the Italian GP next weekend. The Japanese manufacturer made the drivability of its second specification power unit a priority before the race in Monza.
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Honda’s chief engineer, Shintaro Orihara, stated that improving how the engine delivers its performance is Honda’s ‘main goal’ for Monza. The statement reinforces Alonso’s assessment, who had pointed out a loss of important characteristics after the introduction of the new power unit.
According to the Aston Martin driver, the car stopped presenting the drivability and the feeling in gear changes that had been improved with the previous engine. Alonso even described the situation as ‘a return to the starting point’ in fundamental aspects of the car’s behavior.
Orihara explained that the updated unit met Honda’s internal expectations in its first race but admitted there is still room to improve how this performance reaches the driver. The problem, therefore, is not only about seeking more power but allowing Alonso to use it consistently in braking, corner entries, accelerations, and gear changes.
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The difficulty was evident in Zandvoort, despite Alonso’s ninth place securing points for Aston Martin. For Monza, the scenario will be particularly demanding, as the circuit combines long straights and heavy braking, as well as requiring precision in chicanes and good traction on corner exits.
The experienced Spanish driver has already stated that the Italian GP could represent one of the toughest weekends for the team and even considered that points might be out of reach. At the same time, the Spaniard praised the evolution of the Aston Martin chassis and said that recent updates indicated a clear direction for development, leaving the Honda unit issue as a more specific problem to be solved.
Orihara’s assessment places the Monza stage as an opportunity to check if Honda can recover the lost consistency. If this happens, the team will be able to better take advantage of the chassis improvements, while a new difficulty would keep Alonso’s diagnosis about the new power unit in evidence.
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