Aug.25 (GMM) Honda has made clear it wants Fernando Alonso to remain with Aston Martin as the Japanese manufacturer tries to turn its difficult 2026 return into a front-running project.
Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe said Alonso’s technical feedback has been particularly valuable during the troubled start to the new partnership.
“Alonso is a fantastic driver,” he said.
“For us, it’s extremely important to be able to work with him. His feedback on the car is very precise and really helps us move our development forward.”
The relationship is notable given the tensions of Alonso’s McLaren-Honda years, but Watanabe says Honda now wants the Spaniard to remain part of the project.
“We want to continue working with Alonso,” he said.
“Being able to take on a challenge alongside a driver with such extraordinary passion is very, very important for Honda.”
“And although we are not currently in the position we want to be, together with Alonso our goal is to become one of the leading teams in Formula 1.”
Honda’s upgraded Spec 2 engine debuted at Zandvoort, although Alonso said afterwards that it had not yet delivered the expected improvement in drivability.
Even so, Watanabe is already looking further ahead.
“I hope so, that it continues,” he said. “We would make history.”
“History for Alonso, but also for Honda.”
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