P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Aston Martin’s short outing in the Barcelona test represented its first running as a Honda works outfit.
Honda trackside general manager and chief engineer Shintaro Orihara considers last week’s Barcelona test a “pivotal moment” in its partnership with Aston Martin, as they prepare for Bahrain. The Barcelona test marked the first time Aston Martin hit the track as a Honda works team, which was a significant milestone for both parties. Despite only running for a short time during the test, the Adrian Newey-designed AMR26 caught people’s attention. Aston Martin managed to complete 65 laps during the test, with Lance Stroll contributing just four of those. Fernando Alonso drove throughout the final day as Honda gathered data on its new power unit. Orihara emphasized the importance of gaining mileage and data at the upcoming Bahrain test to evaluate the engine’s reliability. He stressed the years of effort and collaboration between Sakura, HRC UK, and Aston Martin that led to this moment, highlighting it as a positive step forward. Their primary focus now is to accumulate mileage to ensure the engine’s reliability and functionality, and they eagerly anticipate observing how the car and power unit perform as a unified machine.
