Three years after presenting Honda as the “last piece of the puzzle” of its project, Aston Martin would already be considering a backup solution by approaching Mercedes for an agreement.
According to a rumor circulating in the paddock, the Silverstone team would have engaged in exploratory discussions with Mercedes regarding a possible engine supply from 2028, if Honda fails to make the expected progress in 2027.
Nothing is confirmed at this stage, however. The supposed meetings between Toto Wolff and Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll in Barcelona and then Zandvoort (photo above) do not prove the existence of advanced negotiations, as the two men have been long-time friends.
But they inevitably attract attention in a context where the start of the Aston Martin-Honda partnership is proving much more complicated than expected.
Honda’s delay
Since the launch of this collaboration in 2026, Honda has notably faced significant vibration problems as well as a deficit in thermal engine performance. Adrian Newey revealed that Aston Martin only truly realized in November 2025 the extent of the delay accumulated by the Japanese engine manufacturer.
The technical director has since set a very clear expectation for 2027: “It is clear that a very large step in thermal engine power is necessary.”
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Honda has nevertheless started to react. A first significant upgrade was introduced at Zandvoort, with modifications notably affecting combustion, pistons, and internal friction. Fernando Alonso also noticed an overall improvement of the AMR26 but believes the power unit still needs to progress in drivability, consistency, and straight-line performance.
Inevitable plan B?
The timeline advanced by Honda precisely fuels the questions. Shintaro Orihara, technical head of the F1 program, believes the manufacturer should be able to return to the level of the best by the end of 2027 or early 2028. This is exactly the period mentioned in the rumors concerning Mercedes.
A return to Mercedes would nevertheless represent a huge change of course. Aston Martin had deliberately left the status of customer team to become Honda’s exclusive partner and have an engine designed around its own project. Returning to Mercedes would therefore mean giving up this independence, which does not seem to harm McLaren, for example.
But preparing a plan B would also have a technical logic. A change of engine supplier profoundly influences the car’s architecture and must be anticipated well in advance. Exploring Mercedes would therefore not necessarily mean that Aston Martin wants to abandon Honda, but rather that it wants to know its options.
Everything could thus be decided in 2027. If Honda makes the expected leap, the Mercedes hypothesis could quickly disappear. Otherwise, Aston Martin might be tempted to favor a safer solution from 2028.
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