Making all-new 2026 engine 'difficult' – Honda

Jan.31 (GMM) Honda is “fighting” behind the scenes to produce its all-new power unit for the revolutionary 2026 regulations.

That is the slightly alarming admission of Honda Racing Corporation boss Koji Watanabe, just days after Adrian Newey admitted a single manufacturer could be set to dominate once the engine and chassis rules change.

Red Bull – to build its own engines in collaboration with Ford – is losing its works Honda power to Aston Martin at the end of the year. Newey starts work at the Silverstone based team in March.

When asked at the Daytona 24 hour how progress is going on Honda’s 2026 power unit, Watanabe answered: “We are fighting.

“We are currently doing our best to achieve results next year,” he is quoted as saying by France’s Auto Hebdo. “Everything is new.”

For 2026, alongside sweeping chassis regulations changes, Formula 1 is requiring that a lot more power is produced by the electrical side of the drivetrain.

“The 355 kW (electric) engine is new – very compact,” the Japanese continued. “The lightweight battery is also not easy to develop. And the engine is small but has a lot of power.

“Everything is very difficult, but we are trying our best.”