Aston Martin chief Adrian Newey has suggested it is unlikely either of the team’s cars will be able to finish Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix because engine vibrations could cause serious damage to their drivers.
Problems with the new Honda power unit, the first supplied to Aston Martin under their 2026 partnership, became apparent during pre-season testing in Bahrain. Newey and Honda executive Koji Watanabe held a press conference in Melbourne on Thursday where they revealed the vibration issue affects both car performance and driver safety, potentially limiting how long Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll can stay on track in the 58-lap race.
Newey said Alonso feels he cannot do more than 25 consecutive laps without risking permanent nerve damage to his hands, while Stroll believes he cannot do more than 15 laps. “We are going to have to be very heavily restricted on how many laps we do in the race until we get on top of the source of the vibration and improve the vibration at source,” Newey added.
Watanabe confirmed Honda cannot run the power unit at full capacity because of the vibration. He explained that unexpected vibration during the Bahrain test caused damage to battery-related components, preventing the team from completing planned mileage. “The engineers from Honda and Aston Martin are working closely as one team to develop and evaluate the multiple countermeasures to [the] issue,” he said.
Honda plans to introduce what it believes are the most effective countermeasures starting this week, but Watanabe cautioned their effectiveness under real track conditions cannot be fully guaranteed. He acknowledged they have yet to find the “root cause” of the problem and could not provide a timeline for when the power unit will be competitive. “Of course, I want to hurry up, but at this moment, it’s quite difficult to say when and how,” he said.
The vibration trouble is a major setback for Honda, which previously powered Red Bull to multiple championships. Despite the difficulties, Newey expressed faith in Honda’s ability to improve. “Do I believe in our partners, in Honda’s ability to bring that power up and to be competitive? Absolutely. They have a proven track record and we have total faith,” he said.
Both drivers described the sensations caused by the low-frequency vibration. Stroll likened it to “electrocute yourself in a chair,” saying it is “a very uncomfortable vibration” that is bad for both the engine and the human inside the car. Alonso reported feeling numbness in his fingers and feet. Despite Newey’s low expectations for the race, Alonso said he hoped recent dyno solutions might improve FP1 and allow him to finish. “I hope to finish the race, first of all,” he said. Stroll added that whether they can go more than 10-15 laps will depend on how much progress has been made since Bahrain.
The problem comes as Formula 1 introduces completely new power units for the first time since 2014, with more electrical power in the system—an area where teething issues were anticipated. Honda and Aston Martin say they will continue working together to develop further measures and asked for patience while technical details are withheld.