A former F1 engineer suspects Honda is lagging behind in the area of simulation.
This week, amid intense rumours of a looming split with McLaren, Honda chief Yusuke Hawegawa admitted the engine maker is having trouble with correlation between its test benches and the track.
"It may be that they have invested a lot but unwisely, or invested too little by underestimating the importance in this area," former F1 engineer Toni Cuquerella, now a pundit for Spanish TV Movistar, is quoted by El Confidencial newspaper.
He said Honda will be no newcomer to test stands and dynamometers, but may not be well enough equipped for the specific demands of F1.
"In F1 there is almost no private testing so the trend is to have increasingly sophisticated test stands.
"When you test your engine, it also depends on the coupling to the gearbox and also the chassis - how it flexes, how it vibrates," Cuquerella added.
"I have no idea what level Honda are at, but I dare say they are not the leaders in this technology."