Honda has revealed that excessive vibrations from its V6 combustion engine damaged the battery system during pre-season testing with Aston Martin, forcing an early stop to sessions. The problems, deemed dangerous and extremely challenging, severely limited the team's mileage compared to rivals. Honda is investigating countermeasures ahead of the 2026 season opener in Australia.
Aston Martin and Honda's partnership faced significant hurdles in pre-season testing for the 2026 Formula 1 season. The AMR26 arrived late for the Barcelona shakedown, resulting in minimal mileage. Further issues with the car and power unit restricted running during two weeks of tests in Bahrain, where Aston Martin covered only 2115 km—about a third of the distance achieved by teams like Mercedes, Haas, and Ferrari, and half that of Cadillac.
As Honda's sole F1 partner, the low mileage also affected testing of the new Sakura power unit. On the final day of the second Bahrain test, the team halted early after exhausting spare batteries, completing just six installation laps. Ikuo Takeishi, head of the HRC four-wheel racing department, explained the core issue to Japanese media: "The abnormal vibrations observed during testing caused damage to the battery system, which was the primary reason for the stoppage."
Takeishi noted the vibrations, originating from the V6 engine, posed a safety risk: "We stopped the car because we felt it shouldn't continue running in that state... but we stopped the car because it was dangerous." The team is probing causes on both power unit and chassis sides, using the Sakura battery on a bench with the monocoque for vibration analysis. He added that the problem likely stems from interactions among multiple components, not a single part: "I suspect multiple components are interacting to generate the vibration... so we can't rule out the possibility of this dragging on."
Honda aims to mitigate the vibrations before the Australian Grand Prix and reach a competitive state by the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, the third race. Takeishi expressed determination to resolve it swiftly but avoided performance discussions. HRC boss Koji Watanabe described the tests as "extremely challenging," with unanticipated issues emerging. He highlighted positive talks with Aston Martin chairman Lawrence Stroll and technical director Adrian Newey, emphasizing unity: "We are aiming for a long-term partnership, and at this stage I believe we are united in our desire to resolve matters as one team." Watanabe acknowledged driver frustration, including from Fernando Alonso, but stressed addressing it through improved performance.