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Koji Watanabe and Lawrence Stroll, along with several other Honda and Aston Martin executives had a fruitful conversation over dinner after the Japanese Grand Prix.
Honda provided a strange explanation for the persistent vibration issues Aston Martin experienced during the Japanese Grand Prix.
It appears the attribution of blame has reversed, as Honda now blame Aston Martin for the issues, having seen their work on the power unit not make a significant difference at Suzuka.
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Internally, even Aston Martin are questioning Adrian Newey’s chassis, as their pace in high-speed corners has been attributed to issues with the car rather than the engine.
However, amid talks of Honda and Aston Martin’s relationship deteriorating, top officials from both sides broke bread together in Japan and discussed the future of their partnership.
READ MORE: Gary Anderson urges the FIA to ‘step in’ as Honda’s theory for Aston Martin vibrations is not viable
Honda president Koji Watanabe discusses fruitful dinner with Lawrence Stroll and Aston Martin
Speaking in an interview with Autosport Japan, Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe revealed he and several high-ranking members of both Honda and Aston Martin went out for dinner after the Japanese Grand Prix.
He revealed that the conversation was pleasant, with both sides working on improving their current situation, while also securing their plans for the 2027 F1 season.
“On Saturday, I had a long dinner with Lawrence Stroll and other Aston Martin executives. Honda’s President Toshihiro Mibe was also present.
“The discussion mainly focused on what steps we should take to improve our competitiveness. It also extended to discussions looking ahead to 2027.
“I can’t go into details, but we both confirmed that it is really important to work as one team. Mister Mibe also encouraged HRC to focus on racing and do their best.”
READ MORE: Martin Brundle backs Jonathan Wheatley to fix ‘horror show’ at Aston Martin
Can Aston Martin’s relationship with Honda survive long-term?
Koji Watanabe admits vibration issue requires work from both Honda and Aston Martin
What was initially thought to be solely Honda’s concern, Koji Watanabe also revealed that the AMR26 chassis plays a role in the vibration issue, and both Honda and Aston Martin have to work in conjunction to address the issue.
“The problem at the Chinese GP was a separate issue from vibration, and that has been resolved. Regarding vibration, we have made improvements, but we haven’t completely dealt with it yet.
“This vibration resonates with the chassis, and there are so many things that need to be done in conjunction with the chassis side, so we are trying various things.
Aston Martin have reportedly written off the 2026 season, already beginning work on 2027 while just trying to mitigate the issues they’ve faced this season.
The hope right now is that both Aston Martin drivers can be somewhat competitive towards the end of the season, before gearing up for a far more positive 2027 campaign.
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