Ahead of the first Formula 1 race in 2026, Honda has confirmed its new power unit has an inherent flaw that will take time to be addressed.
Honda endured a nightmare pre-season in Bahrain ahead of its first race with Aston Martin, securing significantly less mileage than its rivals.
Clocking up just 128 laps compared to Mercedes’ 432, Honda was forced into a reduced programme following significant issues with its new power unit.
Releasing a statement during the second tests, the Japanese manufacturer confirmed work was underway at its Sakura base to tackle the crisis.
Ikuo Takeishi, head of the HRC’s F1 programme, confirmed extreme vibrations were to blame, with tests still ongoing.
“The abnormal vibrations observed during testing caused damage to the battery system, which was the primary reason for the stoppage,” he said to Motorsport.com.
“We stopped the car because we felt it shouldn’t continue running in that state. It wasn’t that an accident was imminent or anything like that, but we stopped the car because it was dangerous.
“The PU side is naturally investigating the cause and working on countermeasures, while simultaneously implementing measures on the chassis side. Specifically, we are currently using the Sakura battery on a bench with the monocoque mounted, actively running multiple countermeasures while conducting vibration countermeasures and analysis.”
Honda reveal knock on effect of vibrations
Confirming more detail behind the issues, Takeishi said the vibrations were impacting the ability to fully diagnose the problem.
“The vibrations caused damage to the battery, so we cannot say whether the battery itself is the problem,” he said.
“You could think of it as the battery pack being shaken within the vehicle body. Essentially, the area where the battery pack is attached is vibrating. Had this been within expectations, I believe we would have made further adjustments. As it stands, I suspect we’ve encountered a rather challenging situation.
“For instance, if the cause were pinpointed to something like the transmission or the engine, it would be much easier to tackle. However, I suspect multiple components are interacting to generate the vibration. Given that, it’s unclear whether fixing one part alone will resolve it, so we can’t rule out the possibility of this dragging on. That said, purely in terms of determination, I’m absolutely intent on fixing it quickly.”
Fixing the issue remains the highest priority for Honda, but the car may have to wait beyond the season opener to become competitive.
“I’m aiming to reduce the vibration before the season opener, but I intend to get the car into a competitive state before Suzuka,” Takeishi said.
There is some confidence that its power unit will be in a much better state once its vibration problem is under control, but Takeishi acknowledged Honda is in no position to “talk actively about performance” right now.
A long term view from Honda
HRC President Koji Watanabe is hopeful that despite the shaky start, Honda will ultimately prevail in its fledgling alliance with Aston Martin.
“The recent pre-season tests in Barcelona and Bahrain were, frankly speaking, extremely challenging for us,” he said.
“We were unable to achieve the performance levels we had anticipated, and a complex set of issues became apparent. However, these tests were also a crucial process in that they allowed us to visualise these challenges.
“There may be various issues on both sides, but we are aiming for a long-term partnership, and at this stage I believe we are united in our desire to resolve matters as one team,” Watanabe said. “I have had very positive discussions on the phone with chairman [Lawrence] Stroll and [Adrian] Newey about how to resolve the situation. With the season opener approaching, it goes without saying that we will do our utmost to ensure we are ready to race in Australia.
“Naturally, the drivers testing are understandably frustrated, but we can only address that through performance.”
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