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Adrian Newey has a mess on his hands as Aston Martin’s latest team principal, and he did not hide his disappointment with Honda at the F1 Commission meeting in Bahrain.
Newey has now taken over from Andy Cowell as the team principal of Aston Martin in a dual role with his managing technical partner duties. But the hope that the Silverstone squad had when Newey arrived last March to lead the design of their 2026 F1 regulations car has gone.
Many in the paddock during pre-season testing in Bahrain across the past two weeks expect Aston Martin will start the 2026 F1 season as the worst team on the grid. Even Cadillac have shown more promise ahead of their debut than Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll managed.
Aston Martin even had to throw in the towel with a few hours remaining on the final day of the second Bahrain test as Honda had a lack of spare parts. It is even said that Aston Martin are not sure if they can start the first race in Australia because of Honda’s unreliable engine.
How long do you expect Honda will need to turn Aston Martin’s engine around?
Adrian Newey fears Aston Martin’s 2026 Honda energy recovery cannot hit 250kw let alone 350kw
There is also a big risk that Aston Martin may fail to meet the 107% rule in Australia, as their 2026 car was so far off the pace of the top teams during testing. Aston Martin arrived late to the Barcelona shakedown and were never able to find their footing at the two Bahrain tests.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about F1’s 2026 engine and aero regulations
Aston Martin ultimately completed the fewest laps of any team in Bahrain, and Newey even told their rival outfits at the F1 Commission meeting on Wednesday that their Honda engine cannot even recover energy at the ‘lower limit’ of 250kw, let alone the maximum of 350kw.
That is according to BBC Sport, which reports that the V6 internal combustion engine (ICE) and hybrid elements of the 2026 Honda power unit are ‘well behind’ the best. Aston Martin were even down to their final Honda battery before the team opted to call time on the test.
F1 increased the MGU-K’s power from 120kw to 350kw with the 2026 regulation
Lance Stroll completed the fewest laps of anyone in Bahrain testing 👀
But who’s the biggest surprise on this list?
Aston Martin’s inability to complete any substantial running across the two tests in Bahrain thanks to Honda’s unreliable engine has made it increasingly difficult for them to learn how their car actually behaves and compares with their rivals’ new packages in a race scenario.
Stroll was only able to complete six laps on Friday, and Alonso never made it onto the track, before Aston Martin called it a day. Now, Aston Martin have to hope Honda can produce an improved power unit quickly, at least in terms of reliability, to prevent total disaster in 2026.
It was suggested after the first test in Bahrain that Honda’s engine accounts for 1.5s of Aston Martin’s deficit, which Stroll fears is around four seconds a lap. Honda’s energy recovery will especially worry Aston Martin after F1 increased the MGU-K’s power from 120kw to 350kw.
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