The Race F1 Podcast Tech Show: Why Honda's F1 engine fix is so difficult
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Mar 26, 2026 
Gary Anderson, former F1 technical director with decades at teams like Jordan and Jaguar, breaks down why Honda’s engine vibrations are so hard to fix. He explains rigid engine mounts, dyno vs on-car testing gaps, packaging compromises with partner teams and tricky MGU-K/harvesting issues. He also discusses Suzuka setup demands, power deployment strategies and on-track measurement techniques.
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Engine Mounts Are Structural Not Isolatable
- Engine and gearbox mounts are structural so you cannot isolate engine vibration with soft bushes without destroying chassis stiffness.
- Modern F1 engines are bolted to chassis at six regulation points and form a load-bearing member, so mounting must remain very rigid.
Vibration Can Be Hidden Until On-Track Integration
- Vibration sources can be high-frequency components like the MGU-K or turbo and may transmit through how components are mounted and packaged.
- Dyno mounts differ from car mounts so an issue might only appear on-track when masses and load paths change.
Prioritise Root Cause Over Driver Bandages
- Fix the root cause rather than adding band-aids like extra compliance around the driver that could degrade performance.
- Small compliance tweaks (seat, pedals, steering) can be temporary mitigations but mustn't replace joint PU and chassis diagnostics.