With just one week until the F1 Australian Grand Prix on the 8th of March at the Albert Park circuit, Honda faces a serious problem. Aston Martin’s Honda power unit, used only by the Silverstone-based team, suffered major vibrations during the disastrous end of Bahrain testing. During the previous Barcelona shakedown week, the team also encountered issues after receiving the AMR26 late.
Aston Martin covered just 2,111km. This was only a fraction of the mileage completed by Mercedes (6193km), Haas, and Ferrari, and almost less than half of Cadillac’s.
On the final day of the second Bahrain test, Aston Martin ran out of spare batteries. They managed only six installation laps before stopping early.
The main battery issues, which took a toll on Aston Martin’s pre-season testing
Speaking to Japanese media, Honda’s Ikuo Takeishi, Chief Operating Officer of HRC, said the excessive vibrations from the V6 combustion engines damaged their battery.
He explained why they stopped running, declaring it dangerous, and detailed how they are investigating the issue.
“The abnormal vibrations observed during testing caused damage to the battery system, which was the primary reason for the stoppage.
“We stopped the car because we felt it shouldn’t continue running in that state. It wasn’t that an accident was imminent or anything like that, but we stopped the car because it was dangerous.”
Takeishi said it is too early to determine whether there is an actual issue with the battery design itself. He believes the vibrations are not caused by a single component. Because of this, Honda is concerned that there is no guarantee of an easy fix.
“The vibrations caused damage to the battery, so we cannot say whether the battery itself is the problem. You could think of it as the battery pack being shaken within the vehicle body. Essentially, the area where the battery pack is attached is vibrating.
“Essentially, the area where the battery pack is attached is vibrating. Had this been within expectations, I believe we would have made further adjustments. As it stands, I suspect we’ve encountered a rather challenging situation.”
The technical challenges that may threaten Honda and Aston Martin’s early 2026 F1 season
Takeishi explained that if the issue were the transmission or engine, it would be easier to tackle. However, he suspects multiple components are interacting to cause the vibration.
It’s unclear if fixing one part alone will resolve it. Nevertheless, their main goal is to fix the problem as soon as possible.
“However, I suspect multiple components are interacting to generate the vibration. Given that, it’s unclear whether fixing one part alone will resolve it, so we can’t rule out the possibility of this dragging on. That said, purely in terms of determination, I’m absolutely intent on fixing it quickly.”
Ongoing issues with the Honda power unit are likely to compromise Aston Martin’s performance going into the Australian Grand Prix. Honda hopes to get it into a competitive state by the Japanese Grand Prix, their home F1 race.
Takeishi expressed some confidence that the engine will perform better once they solve the problems. Still, he cannot actively discuss performance at this stage.
“I’m aiming to reduce the vibration before the season-opener, but I intend to get the car into a competitive state before Suzuka.”
President of HRC on their commitment to overcome the challenges of their partnership
HRC boss Koji Watanabe said Aston Martin and Honda are working to overcome the difficult start to their 2026 F1 partnership. The tests did not meet expectations, but they were crucial because they helped the team see the challenges. He added that both sides aim for a long-term partnership and have already had positive discussions on resolving the situation.
“The recent pre-season tests in Barcelona and Bahrain were, frankly speaking, extremely challenging for us. We were unable to achieve the performance levels we had anticipated, and a complex set of issues became apparent. However, these tests were also a crucial process in that they allowed us to visualise these challenges.
“I have had very positive discussions on the phone with chairman [Lawrence] Stroll and [Adrian] Newey about how to resolve the situation. With the season opener approaching, it goes without saying that we will do our utmost to ensure we are ready to race in Australia.
“Naturally, the drivers testing are understandably frustrated, but we can only address that through performance.”
