Overview
- Aston Martin said Wednesday that Fernando Alonso will miss Thursday media at Suzuka after the birth of his first child and will arrive for Friday running, with reserve Jak Crawford taking FP1.
- Honda’s Shintaro Orihara said the team reduced some vibration effects that had been damaging the battery in China but still lacks a root‑cause fix and remains short on energy deployment and power.
- Aston Martin is yet to finish a race in 2026 after two double DNFs, with drivers reporting painful steering‑wheel vibrations that forced Alonso to retire in Shanghai.
- Team strain has intensified, with Helmut Marko saying Adrian Newey is "not doing well" and reports suggesting Newey will refocus on technical leadership as Aston pursues Jonathan Wheatley to lead the team.
- Suzuka exposes weaknesses in hybrid energy recovery under the 2026 rules that split power about 50‑50 between engine and battery, and a five‑week break after Japan could influence when Honda taps its upgrade allowances.