Overview
- Aston Martin says severe vibrations from the Honda V6 are transmitting into drivers’ hands with a risk of permanent nerve damage, forcing plans for heavily limited race mileage.
- Practice running in Melbourne was curtailed and the team now has only two usable battery packs for the weekend, raising the possibility the cars may not start if another unit fails.
- A countermeasure is being trialed to isolate the battery from the vibrations, but the team concedes it may not work and does nothing to reduce what the drivers feel in the cockpit.
- The vibrations have already triggered multiple reliability problems, including repeated battery failures and chassis components shaking loose, after the team logged the least preseason mileage.
- Adrian Newey disclosed Aston Martin learned in November that key Honda personnel from past title‑winning programs had not returned, and the team is pressing for accelerated ADUO allowances with the first FIA evaluation set after race six in Miami.