Overview
- Honda’s Shintaro Orihara said Tuesday that Aston Martin and HRC engineers have been working around the clock at the Sakura R&D center and that no immediate cure is expected before Miami.
- Track vibrations from the 2026 power unit have repeatedly broken the AMR26’s battery, with the rigid link between the engine, gearbox and MGU-K transmitting shaking that has left drivers reporting hand numbness.
- Both companies say the problem sits at the junction of power unit and chassis, so countermeasures must include integration changes rather than a standalone engine tweak.
- Small gains have started to show, with Fernando Alonso reaching the finish at Suzuka, yet the team remains last in the standings with zero points after three races.
- Battery limits in F1 allow only two units per car for the season, and two of Honda’s four packs failed within the first hour of Australian GP practice, raising costs, risking penalties, and forcing cautious run plans for Miami.