Honda trackside general manager Shintaro Orihara has issued an update on the Japanese marque’s continuation to improve on its horror start to the Formula 1 campaign, saying it is working to “enhance” the improvements already made.
The power unit manufacturer to Aston Martin has suffered an embarrassing beginning to its return to the sport, having suffered a myriad of issues with the Silverstone-based squad.
One primary problem has been the vibrations caused by the batteries, with both of Aston’s drivers suffering from numbness in their hands through then.
But improvements have begun already, with Fernando Alonso managing to make the chequered flag at its home race in Suzuka.
![Honda trackside chief Shintaro Orihara [left] has identified an issue with the engine that prevented one of its Aston Martin cars from finishing in Shanghai](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Shintaro-Orihara-Honda-Aston-Martin-1024x576.webp)
However, Aston is still languishing at the foot of the grid, and Orihara has promised an ongoing flurry of work, despite F1’s enforced early-season hiatus.
“As you know, the Bahrain Grand Prix and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix were postponed,” he said in a social media video. “But that doesn’t mean that the work has stopped.
“After the Japanese Grand Prix, Aston Martin team members and Honda Racing Corporation have been working together at HRC Research and Development Centre in Sakura, about three hours from Tokyo.
“We have been working around the clock to enhance our countermeasures, and the work will keep continuing as we approach the next F1 race in Miami.”
Orihara concluded: “We know that things will take time, but we will keep working hard together.”
Honda has already made strides with Aston Martin to begin a full eradication of its most talked-about anomaly, and with F1 returning next weekend, then another race finish will be another target to reach.
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