Honda has delivered a telling update on its power unit issues as Aston Martin looks set to struggle again at this weekend’s Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix.
Honda and Aston Martin are enduring a nightmare start to 2026, with issues centred on extreme vibrations within the power unit and poor reliability.
The partnership has been open about the struggles it faces, and that Honda is working to trace the issues with the vibrations, with hopes before the Chinese GP small improvements could be found.
However, Fernando Alonso claimed in China that the vibrations had managed to worsen to the point that he took his hands off the steering wheel during the race to prevent nerve damage.
Ahead of Honda’s home race in Japan, Trackside General Manager and Chief Engineer Shintaro Orihara has given a deflating update over the progress to fix the issues plaguing Aston Martin.
“In China, we made some progress in terms of battery reliability thanks to a reduction in the vibration affecting the systems, but we must find more solutions to establish the cause of the vibrations affecting the drivers,” he said.
Honda fires warning shot ahead of home race
Orihara confirmed that inherent flaws remain with Honda’s performance, raising concerns battery management at the highly technical Suzuka track.
“We have also focused our efforts in the gap between China and Japan to continue to improve our reliability, but still our performance is not where we want it to be, especially regarding energy management. Suzuka Circuit is a tough track for this, so we have been using the learnings from Australia and China to prepare better for the Japanese Grand Prix.
“We are not at the level where we wanted to be going into this weekend, but we will keep working hard to maximise our package. We are looking forward to seeing the home crowd and the Honda fans.
“I want them to see that we have made some progress since Bahrain.”
Honda’s update shows it is still struggling to fundamentally understand the raft of issues plaguing its power unit. Its nature indicates that it is still exploring multiple avenues over the root cause.
The scene of Alonso’s famous “GP2 engine” gibe at Honda 11 years ago, this weekend, could be a case of deja vu for the Spaniard.
READ MORE: Aston Martin confirms Fernando Alonso to miss F1 Suzuka media duties
Discussion about this post