Honda chief engineer Shintaro Orihara said he is not expecting ‘magic’ from the FIA, when it comes to the power unit marque getting back on terms with its rivals.
FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, previously revealed he has held talks with Fernando Alonso about the 2026 regulations, saying “there is no way we can allow Fernando to leave” due to his displeasure with the direction of the sport.
Honda addresses FIA proposals for Fernando Alonso
Honda is among several power unit manufacturers [PUMs] to have been measured at more than 4 per cent behind Red Bull Powertrains’ benchmark internal combustion engine, which offers two extra homologation periods as it looks to provide Aston Martin with a class-leading power unit.
Alonso is weighing up his future in the sport and Ben Sulayem hopes to be able to prevent his departure, and hinted at further proposals alongside the additional development and upgrade opportunities [ADUO] already in place.
“There is no way we can allow Fernando to leave,” Ben Sulayem told the New Economy Forum in Madrid.
“Alonso, a great champion, to leave just because of the circumstances.
“That’s not the way to leave the stage. He has to be successful, and then he leaves whenever he wants. Not because he was forced to leave because of the performance.
“I met with the owner, with Lawrence [Stroll], and I am going to do the changes.”
Any proposed regulatory adjustments would be subject to a vote, though Toto Wolff acknowledged Alonso’s conversation with Ben Sulayem was “fair enough” in the circumstances.
From Honda’s perspective, though, Orihara explained the main focus for the brand is to improve under its own steam.
While there are not significant upgrades planned for the rest of 2026, Honda feels there is still more to be extracted from its current package.
“I don’t know that he is thinking that, so I don’t think he can give us some magic,” Orihara responded to PlanetF1.com and others when asked about Ben Sulayem’s comments.
“We are focused on our development programme, working hard to improve by ourselves, so that is our programme at the moment.
“At this moment, we do not have any big upgrades [planned] for this year, but still, we think there is room for improvement in our performance by changing the calibration.”
More about the Formula 1 calendar
F1 schedule: When is the next race and where is it being held?
Complete F1 2027 calendar officially released; 10 Sprints confirmed
After the high-speed challenge of Monza and a new circuit in Spain, Formula 1 heads to the Baku City Circuit for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, at the start of the first triple-header of the season.
In a pre-race update, Orihara is hopeful of Honda continuing to bring incremental improvements as it gathers further understanding of its power unit.
“We are moving in the right direction when looking at the improvements on driveability both in Monza and Madrid,” he explained.
“Seeing steps on a high-speed track like Monza and on a street circuit like Madrid are an encouraging sign for this weekend.
“From here, we’ll keep working on energy management and engine tuning, making small steps and adding them up to steadily improve our performance.”
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.
You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!
Read next: When can Kimi Antonelli win the F1 2026 World Championship?
Originally published by Planet F1 —
Read Original Article