(Motorsport-Total.com) – Honda, Aston Martin’s engine partner, has announced its “important goal” for the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix. This comes after initial improvements were already achieved on the brand’s Formula 1 power unit.
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The newly formed factory partnership experienced a very poor start. The Aston Martin team, whose goal was to fight for the world championship, noticeably lacked reliability and performance. Vibrations caused by the Honda engine led to damage to the batteries and even raised health concerns among the drivers.
The unexpected five-week Formula 1 break in April nevertheless brought progress. One of the AMR26 cars remained directly in Japan after the race in Suzuka. There, Honda engineers in Sakura conducted a thorough investigation. At the following weekend in Miami, Aston Martin then achieved a double finish in both the sprint and the main race.
The problems at Aston Martin
“At the Miami Grand Prix, we were able to confirm our improvements in battery vibrations and the overall reliability of the power unit,” explained Shintaro Orihara, Honda’s trackside leader and chief engineer, on Tuesday in his preview of the Canadian Grand Prix. “It was also a key opportunity to learn under the updated 2026 regulations in the area of energy management, and that will continue in Canada.”
After Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll only qualified 18th and 19th for the Miami Grand Prix, Aston Martin’s focus will now be on improving performance. The two drivers were a significant 1.2 seconds short of making it into Q2.
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Complicating matters, the Spaniard was slowed by a gearbox problem with “arbitrary downshifts.” In the race on Sunday afternoon, Aston Martin ultimately finished outside the points with a clear 78-second deficit.
Canada as a new reference point
“In Montreal, Lance’s home race, we will focus on improving drivability and our energy management strategy to further strengthen the drivers’ confidence,” Orihara added. “In fact, this is an important goal for our race weekend. If we can give the drivers more confidence so they can take corners faster and carry more momentum, that will bring us lap time.”
Since the ADUO mechanism (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) for engine manufacturers only comes into effect after the Canadian Grand Prix, Honda is expected to have an improved opportunity to reduce the gap to competitors.
Aston Martin is currently deeply stuck in a battle with Cadillac at the back of the field and has no prospect of championship points. Accordingly, the team plans no significant upgrades until the summer break.
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