Hasegawa: “Alonso constantly came to put pressure on us”

Two and a half years after the return of Honda as engine manufacturer of a racing team Formula 1, Yusuke Hasegawa, the head of Honda F1 engines, returned to the tumultuous relationship with the star of McLaren, Fernando Alonso. The double F1 world champion is not in the habit of keeping his tongue in his pocket when retirements and lack of performance follow one another.

His harsh comments on the lack of performance of the Japanese propulsion unit have made the rounds on the Web; internally, the Asturian did the same. “Alonso constantly came to put pressure on us.”, explains Yusuke Hasegawa to the Spanish daily El Confidencial. “If the car was not optimal, he had no problem meeting me to explain his thoughts. He's a good person, I don't think he was amused by this position, but he had to do it.", he concedes.

Fernando Alonso's attitude has not always been well received in the land of the rising sun. “There are some Honda employees who have not been happy with him. But personally, this didn't pose any problem for me. After all, he wanted everything to be orderly; he criticized us and he had the right to do so. This is why I feel embarrassed.”, completes Yusuja Hasegawa, referring to the inability of the Honda engine to close the gap with the Mercedes, Ferrari or Renault V6s.

In this context, the relationship between the two parties quickly deteriorated. “From a professional point of view, there were a lot of problems because he was never happy, and it is then very difficult to establish a peaceful working environment. » The Honda F1 project manager, who will equip the Toro Rosso team next year, appears pragmatic. “Pilots are very sensitive human beings. You have to understand them. If we had the best car, Wouldn’t Alonso be happy? »