Aston Martin handed 'no miracle cure' warning after Honda diagnose engine fault

Honda has diagnosed the root of its power unit problems that led to a disastrous recent second test in Bahrain, RacingNews365 understands.

The Japanese company's engineering team has spent the last few days delving into issues sparked when Fernando Alonso ground to a halt in his Aston Martin on the middle day of three at the Bahrain International Circuit. The situation was exacerbated by the fact that the PU suffered a major spike in revs before it shut down.

Ahead of the final day of running, Honda issued a statement, highlighting the fact that a battery-related issue impacted its testing with the team.

It resulted in simulations being conducted on the test bench at its factory in Sakura, Japan. Due to an additional shortage of power unit parts, Honda confirmed it would be adopting a very limited run plan.

Lance Stroll completed nothing more than six in-and-out laps before Aston Martin announced just after lunch that it had completed its programme for the day.

Honda trackside general manager and chief engineer, Shintaro Orihara, made clear that no one inside the company was happy with the situation and that solutions were being sought to resolve the issues. Overall, Orihara described the week as "enduring".

With the problem finally identified, Honda is now in the phase of playing catch-up. Sources have indicated to RacingNews365, however, that there is no reason to expect miracles as those working on the PU still face a host of challenges.

At least compared to the immediate aftermath of testing in Bahrain, there is now a more optimistic tone emerging from Honda as the countdown continues to the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, albeit it remains very cautious on potential outcomes.

It is understood that senior Aston Martin officials are doing their best to keep morale high going into the season despite the adverse issues it is facing with Honda.