Honda Reshapes F1 Power Unit Leadership Amid Aston Martin Struggles

Honda has moved to reshape the brains behind its Formula 1 power unit project, installing Yoichiro Fukao as the new large project leader in a planned handover designed to sharpen its challenge under the 2026 engine rules.

Fukao, currently assistant LPL and head of the software division on the F1 programme, will take over from long-time leader Tetsushi Kakuda. The change, confirmed by Honda Racing Corporation, will formally take effect on 1 October 2026 and is framed as a key step in preparing the next generation of engineers for the sport’s looming regulatory reset.

Honda, which supplies power units to Aston Martin, set out the move in a detailed statement.

“Honda Racing Corporation will implement a change in the leadership of its F1 Power Unit (PU) development programme, effective October 1st, 2026, with the aim of further accelerating PU development and ensuring a smooth transition to the next generation of engineers,” the manufacturer said.

“Yoichiro Fukao, currently serving as Assistant LPL (Deputy Leader of the F1 Project, Head of the Software Division), will assume the role of LPL (Large Project Leader), succeeding Tetsushi Kakuda, who has led the PU development to date.

“This organisational change is a planned transition designed to ensure the reliable transfer of technical expertise to the next generation of engineers.

“Following the introduction of the new regulations in 2026, and with further regulatory changes expected from 2027 onwards, Honda aims to establish a robust development framework and deliver a highly competitive PU by transitioning to the new structure at an early stage.”

A long climb from the bottom

The timing of the announcement underlines the pressure Honda and Aston Martin find themselves under.

A season that was supposed to position the team to pounce on the new engine era has instead exposed its frailties. Aston Martin sits 10th in the constructors’ standings with just three points, ahead of only newcomers Cadillac. The ambition of being a front-running force feels a long way off when the green cars are fighting at the back.

The Spanish Grand Prix underlined the scale of the task. At his second home race of the year, Fernando Alonso could do no better than 17th, while Lance Stroll retired with brake problems. On a day when Aston Martin needed a statement, it left Barcelona with more questions.

Honda had hoped its upgraded power unit, introduced at the Dutch Grand Prix, would mark a turning point. It hasn’t – at least not yet. Results remain thin, and the midfield has moved on.

Inside the garage, though, Honda insists the direction is right.

“Today’s result isn’t what we wanted, but we need to look at the learnings and improvement points that we can take forward to future races,” said Shintaro Orihara, Honda’s trackside general manager and chief engineer.

“Over the past three races we’ve improved the driveability of our spec 2 power unit, which was introduced at the Dutch Grand Prix. By reducing the driveability issue, we can now focus on the performance side.

“This weekend, for example, we changed some calibrations to improve this aspect and session-by-session we saw some good signs in the data. This shows us all that we are working in the right direction.”

A new era to rescue a faltering project?

The leadership reshuffle is not a reactionary sacking or a mid-season panic. Honda has been keen to stress this is a “planned transition”, a baton pass rather than a clear-out.

Fukao, who joined Honda in 2002 and climbed steadily through the engineering ranks before taking his current deputy role in 2022, now becomes the figurehead tasked with turning technical promise into hard points. His background in software and systems control fits the direction of modern F1 power units, where energy management and calibration can make or break a weekend.

The message from Honda is clear: get the structure right now, so the 2026 regulations don’t become another missed opportunity. The current rules cycle has already slipped away from Aston Martin. The next one cannot.

For a team marooned near the back and a manufacturer desperate to reassert its F1 pedigree, this is more than a tidy line on an organisational chart. It is a bet that fresh leadership, embedded early, can transform an underperforming project into a power unit capable of fighting at the front when the sport resets.

If it doesn’t, the consequences will be written not in press releases, but in lap times.