Exclusive: Honda 'proud' of F1 recovery after 'big shock' to start Aston Martin project

When Honda committed to F1's new era alongside Aston Martin, there was little expectation the opening chapter would be spent searching for answers rather than laying foundations for victories and titles.

The Japanese manufacturer came into its new partnership carrying the momentum of one of the most successful power unit programmes of the hybrid era, helping power Max Verstappen and Red Bull to multiple championships. 

Meanwhile, Aston Martin had developed what many regarded as the sport's most ambitious and promising long-term project. Adrian Newey had arrived, the team's state-of-the-art Silverstone campus was complete and Fernando Alonso's belief that a third drivers' crown could be fought for appeared well founded.

Instead, the reality has been sobering.

Persistent vibration problems emanating from the power unit's battery, worrying reliability issues and a fundamental lack of outright performance left Aston Martin fighting at the wrong end of the grid through the first half of the 2026 season, locked in battle with F1 newcomers Cadillac.

The vibration issue was so severe that Newey revealed Aston Martin had genuine concerns it could cause permanent nerve damage to the hands of Alonso and Lance Stroll, underlining just how serious the situation was.

For Honda trackside manager and chief engineer Shintaro Orihara, it was a difficult reality to accept.

"I would say it was a big shock, because normally we expect to be competitive," Orihara concedes as part of an exclusive interview with RacingNews365.

"That is the reason why we rejoined Formula 1. So when we realised our performance was not good, that was a big shock; it was kind of expected, but when we realised, that was a shock."

Realising the situation was 'getting worse'

It is a remarkably candid admission from one of the senior figures leading Honda's return as a full works manufacturer, highlighting the gulf between expectation and delivery during the opening months of the Aston Martin partnership.

The warning signs, Orihara explains, had actually appeared long before the team's torrid pre-season testing — when Alonso and Stroll managed a fraction of the number of laps achieved by other drivers — and the campaign curtain-raiser in Melbourne, where Newey's vibration revelation stunned the paddock.

"The situation had been getting worse, not suddenly bad, but at the beginning of this year, in January, we realised that the situation had been getting worse," Orihara says.

"Last year, we were not a top competitor, but not like how it was in winter testing. So the situation was getting worse, and at the beginning of this year, [we realised] we were maybe not in a great position."

Confidence in what can be achieved

The vibration issue not only restricted testing, but also Aston Martin's operating window, whilst complicating development of both the power unit and chassis. Reliability problems followed, while weaknesses in energy deployment further compromised race pace, leaving Alonso and Stroll unable to consistently challenge beyond the rear of the pack before having to retire early or use races as glorified test sessions.

Mike Krack, Aston Martin's chief trackside officer, repeatedly insisted the team's immediate priority was understanding the causes of its problems rather than chasing outright lap time, stressing that fixing the foundations would naturally unlock performance.

Alonso echoed that sentiment by describing much of the opening phase of the campaign as an extended learning process, while Stroll acknowledged there were weekends where simply reaching the finish represented progress.

But now, there are finally reasons for optimism, with Aston Martin — and soon Honda — coming out of the woods.

Just before the summer break, the round at the Hungaroring marked Aston Martin's most encouraging weekend of the campaign after a significant chassis update improved the car's aerodynamic platform and overall balance.

It represented a meaningful step forward independent of Honda's work and indicated the team may be able to build upon the solitary point Alonso scored at the Monaco Grand Prix, with attention now switching to Zandvoort, where the Japanese manufacturer is set to introduce the first part of its available Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities allocation.

Under Formula 1's new power unit regulations, certain manufacturers are permitted a limited number of ADUO upgrades during the homologation cycle, if they are deemed far enough down on performance compared to the established benchmark team.

The system allows specified elements of the internal combustion engine to be updated for performance or reliability reasons without requiring an entirely new design.

Honda's planned Dutch Grand Prix package will be its first upgrade, and Orihara believes the progress already made justifies confidence.

"I'm proud of what we have achieved, and what our factory guys have achieved, from winter testing to now," he shares.

"We solved the big vibration issue, and we made big progress in terms of durability and energy management.

"So I'm quite confident about what we can achieve, based on what we have achieved this year."

Reasons for optimism

That optimism is increasingly reflected across Aston Martin.

Newey has spoken positively about the gains delivered by the revised chassis package, while Alonso believes the team has finally established a baseline from which meaningful development can continue.

Stroll has similarly pointed to a more predictable car as evidence the project is beginning to move in the right direction after months of firefighting — and Honda has been battling a challenge on a similar scale, too.

Earlier this season, Newey revealed Aston Martin had not appreciated how many experienced Honda Formula 1 engineers had departed following the manufacturer's previous works involvement with Red Bull.

The loss of that accumulated knowledge meant both organisations were effectively rebuilding key areas of the programme while simultaneously developing an all-new power unit under the sport's biggest regulation overhaul in decades.

Honda has responded by strengthening its operation. Orihara adds: "This year, we have brought back some of our experts who have experience working on previous Formula 1 projects...

"Also, our newer engineers, who have started their Formula 1 career with this project, have gained a lot of experience from winter testing and the half-season this year.

"So I believe our structure is in a good position to recover the performance and reliability."

For a programme that harbours championship ambitions, being confronted by what Orihara openly describes as a "big shock" may have left Aston Martin down.

But, if Honda's resolve is anything to go by, the fledgling partnership is most certainly not out.