Bernie Collins questions Aston Martin for lack of ‘PR speak’ concerning Honda power unit issues

Follow us on Google Discover

Aston Martin have made it no secret that they are frustrated with Honda’s work on their power unit.

The tense nature of the partnership between the two has escalated to such an extent that their issues are playing out in front of everyone to see.

Honda Racing president Koji Watanabe recently said Aston Martin and Honda’s partnership must improve, as their current dynamic is just not feasible.

Have Aston Martin already ‘completely ruined’ their relationship with Honda?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Many believe Adrian Newey being so publicly critical of their partners came across as Aston Martin throwing Honda under the bus.

The negative press surrounding Aston Martin’s internal frustration has been rampant. And Bernie Collins is confused as to why these stories have been made so publicly accessible.

READ MORE: Honda expert says they will need ‘two years’ to make Aston Martin’s F1 engine competitive

Bernie Collins wonders why Aston Martin didn’t have a more PR-safe approach to Honda comments

Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Show, Bernie Collins raised questions about the explosive press conference conducted by Adrian Newey and Koji Watanabe in Australia.

Given the nature of their new relationship, Collins was befuddled as to why Newey and Aston Martin didn’t soften their comments with a ‘PR’ polish, rather than being so open with their criticism.

“I was surprised at the openness of some of the stories that came out, some of the comments that came out in terms of how the drivers were soft and how the vibrations were. Maybe we’re more used to that being tidied up in PR speak before it reaches us, potentially.”

Collins is far from the only person raising these questions. A lot has been made about Newey and Aston Martin’s fairly blunt approach to the power unit crisis with Honda.

Newey suggesting Honda was unclear about their F1 team’s status is one of the many comments that reflected a deep tension between the two sides.

READ MORE: Lawrence Stroll has already overspent on Aston Martin’s F1 project by ‘a factor of five or six’

Higher or lower: Aston Martin will complete 20 laps in the Chinese Grand Prix before their first retirement

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Aston Martin upsetting Honda could only make power unit crisis worse long-term

Things are bad enough when it comes to the issues between Aston Martin and Honda over their power unit. The last thing they need is for their working relationship to be jeopardised.

Frustration is understandable, but Newey’s comments could cause friction between the two sides very early in their partnership that can affect it for years to come.

There is concern that Newey could be replaced by Aston Martin soon. His comments have certainly not done him any favours in terms of keeping his job safe.

For now, it’s best if both Aston Martin and Honda keep any frustration with each other out of the public discourse and focus on solving the power unit issue as quickly as possible.