(Motorsport-Total.com) – Honda has reorganized the leadership of its Formula 1 engine program. The Japanese manufacturer, which will be the exclusive powertrain partner of Aston Martin from 2026, is replacing the previous head of powertrain development. This is intended to accelerate the development of the Power Unit.
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As Honda Racing Corporation announced on Monday, Tetsushi Kakuda will be replaced by his current deputy Yoichiro Fukao as of October 1. Honda describes the move as a “planned transition,” but at the same time cites the “further acceleration” of Power Unit development as the goal.
“Honda Racing Corporation will make a change in the leadership of the development program for the F1 Power Unit (PU) effective October 1, 2026, with the aim of further accelerating PU development and ensuring a smooth transition to the next generation of engineers,” Honda said.
Honda replaces leadership of its engine program
Fukao is currently serving as Assistant LPL and thus as deputy head of the F1 project. At the same time, he is responsible for the software department. In the future, he will take over the position of LPL, i.e., head of the large project, succeeding Kakuda, who has led the development of the Power Unit until now.
“Yoichiro Fukao, who is currently Assistant LPL (deputy head of the F1 project and head of the software department), will take on the role of LPL (head of the large project), succeeding Tetsushi Kakuda, who has led PU development until now,” Honda explained.
The change comes at a difficult time for Honda. The manufacturer had an extremely problematic start to the new 2026 regulations era and is struggling with both lack of performance and reliability issues. Due to the deficit, Honda has already been granted additional support in the development of its Power Unit.
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Honda now apparently also sees the reorganization as an opportunity to set the course for the upcoming season. After the comprehensive restart of the 2026 regulations, further changes are planned for 2027, to which the manufacturer wants to align its development early.
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Honda wants to accelerate development for 2027
“This organizational change is a planned transition intended to ensure the reliable transfer of technical know-how to the next generation of engineers,” the press release states.
Honda also points to the need to build a long-term resilient development structure in view of the new rules: “After the introduction of the new regulations in 2026 and considering further regulatory changes expected from 2027, Honda wants to create a robust development framework through the early transition to the new structure and deliver a highly competitive PU.”
After the difficult start to the season, Honda received additional support in May for the development of its Power Unit, which goes beyond the originally planned ADUO system. This is intended to help manufacturers who are significantly behind the competition in performance or reliability.
Further help for Honda under discussion
During the weekend of the Spanish Grand Prix, there were also further talks between FIA President Mohammed bin Sulayem, Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll, and Fernando Alonso about what additional measures could help Honda.
Among other things, a further adjustment of the ADUO system is being considered. Both Mercedes and Red Bull-Ford Powertrains are reportedly generally open to further changes to the existing rules. Honda could thus receive additional opportunities to reduce the gap to the competition.
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