Honda has brought hardware changes to the Miami Grand Prix to address excessive engine vibrations plaguing Aston Martin's dismal start to the 2026 F1 season. The team sits bottom of the championship after three races, with no points scored. Officials express confidence in the updates ahead of this weekend's event.
Aston Martin has endured a nightmare beginning to the 2026 Formula 1 campaign with Honda as its power unit supplier. After races in Melbourne, Shanghai, and Suzuka—following cancellations in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain—the Silverstone-based team languishes at the bottom of the standings. Excessive vibrations in the engine have caused cockpit discomfort for drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, limiting their mileage and forcing Alonso's retirement in China. Alonso completed a full race distance for the first time this year in Japan before a five-week break allowed for intensive fixes at Honda's Sakura factory, where an AMR26 underwent dyno testing with added sensors to measure and mitigate vibrations. The AMR26 also exceeds the 768kg minimum weight by at least 10kg, a challenge for many teams after the drop from 800kg last year, and faces chassis issues affecting driveability and reliability. Aston Martin has yet to score points and trails by about two seconds in qualifying. Honda trackside general manager Shintaro Orihara, speaking in Miami, detailed the process: “We brought the exact race car to Sakura, then we did some testing... We gathered all the knowledge of HRC engineers and then we found some good progress on the vibration.” He described the countermeasures as hardware-related, expressing confidence without specifics, and noted improvements on the engine's battery side and for driver comfort. Aston Martin chief trackside officer Mike Krack confirmed upcoming changes focused on reliability, weight, and driveability. “There will be changes on the car,” Krack said. “The work that we did together collaboratively over the last weeks, it will lead to a step forward.” He cautioned against expecting miracles, emphasizing a step-by-step development race against improving rivals.
