Exclusive: Honda highlight Fernando Alonso 'trust' as major F1 target outlined

Honda's chief F1 engineer Shintaro Orihara has insisted Fernando Alonso holds a great deal of “trust” in the Japanese manufacturer despite its troubling start to the new season.

Aston Martin struck up a partnership with Honda as F1 entered a new era under fresh technical regulations this year.

However, both parties faced setbacks when the campaign got underway and the package has been languishing towards the back of the field throughout the first half of the campaign.

Aston Martin delivered its first substantial upgrade last time out at the Hungarian Grand Prix, while Honda is set to follow suit at Zandvoort next month with an enhancement of its own.

While Aston Martin's drivers have no doubt been left frustrated by the lack of competitiveness, Orihara insisted both have left no stone unturned in a bid to improve.

“We have two drivers in the garage,” Orihara exclusively told RacingNews365. “So a positive point for us is both drivers give us different feedback. 

“That gives us twice the knowledge to improve drivability or energy management. 

“Then Fernando, he has super huge experience, and his feedback is always critical. He has 20 years of experience.

“So if Fernando says ‘we need this deployment before going into a corner', then we should respect his opinion.”

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Honda 'target' to deliver Alonso competitive car

Alonso's F1 future has been the topic of scrutiny in recent months, with the two-time champion stating he will use the ongoing summer break to make his decision over a 2027 drive.

However, Orihara has insisted that Alonso's motivation has not waned amid the difficult period.

“Always, we have a briefing after a session, but Fernando has a big motivation and passion to improve car performance,” he said.

“He gives us a lot of requests and always, we respect his opinion. We are very keen to hear and listen to his feedback. 

“That is a good benefit of working with Fernando. He has huge motivation to improve car performance.”

Alonso last won a championship in 2006, with this year being the 20th anniversary of his second title win.

The Spaniard has not been in a position to win a title for some time - but Honda is keen to break that trend.

“That is our target, definitely,” Orihara insisted. “So we are working closely, and we know he is a great driver.

“He has a big passion, and he trusts Honda. So we want to bring what he wants, that is definitely our target.”