P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The start of Aston Martin’s partnership with Honda has been disastrous, raising major concerns ahead of the 2026 F1 season.
Honda’s trackside general manager and chief engineer, Shintaro Orihara, expressed disappointment after a challenging pre-season testing in Bahrain, stating that the Japanese manufacturer is “not happy.” Aston Martin and Honda encountered a troubled pre-season, starting with missing most of the Barcelona shakedown last month. The struggles persisted in the two Bahrain tests, culminating in Lance Stroll completing just six laps, none of which were timed. Aston Martin announced the completion of their program early on the final day due to significant issues faced the previous day. Honda faced power unit problems, with Fernando Alonso stopping early on Thursday, limiting Aston Martin’s running to just six laps. Honda needs to address these issues to prevent further setbacks for themselves and Aston Martin at the upcoming Australian Grand Prix. Despite the challenges, efforts are being made collectively in Sakura, Milton Keynes, and Silverstone to find solutions and improve performance and reliability.
