After a difficult start to the season, Honda takes an important step forward with Aston Martin. The priority now shifts towards pure performance.
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The Miami weekend marked a turning point for Honda and Aston Martin. For the first time this season, both cars finished a Grand Prix without major incident, a relief after a complicated start.
Since the launch of the 2026 campaign, the Japanese engine manufacturer has faced several technical problems, notably significant vibrations affecting both the chassis and the comfort of the drivers. But in Miami, progress was finally visible, offering a first positive signal for the rest of the championship.
Efforts finally rewarded
Honda’s technical director, Shintaro Orihara, praises the work done behind the scenes.
“After the Japanese Grand Prix, we worked very hard with Aston Martin to bring solutions here” he explains.
The results seem to be there: “We have confirmed that these solutions work, and the drivers have given us positive feedback. It’s good progress for Aston Martin and Honda.”
Even more encouraging, the team managed to complete both a sprint race and a full Grand Prix without major reliability issues.
“It’s a real step forward” he insists.
Reliability finally under control
Until now, Honda focused most of its efforts on the reliability of its power unit. The problems encountered at the start of the season prevented any pursuit of pure performance.
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This phase now seems largely under control, allowing the team to shift priorities. An essential evolution to hope to climb back up the ranks against very sharp competition.
With a more stable base, Honda can now turn to optimization. The next project notably concerns energy management, a key element in the current regulations.
“Our next goal is to optimize settings related to energy management as well as ease of driving” details Orihara.
This work should allow fully exploiting the potential of the engine, still far from being maximized according to the Japanese engineer.
“There is still a lot of room for improvement on our power unit. That’s the next step.”
A hope for Aston Martin
For Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, these improvements represent a breath of fresh air after a frustrating start to the season. If reliability is confirmed in the upcoming races, Aston Martin could finally start exploiting its potential and aiming for more ambitious results.
Miami may be just a step, but it could well mark the beginning of a real turnaround.
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