Aston Martin facing ‘big asterisk’ over 2026 F1 car as Honda engine is not their only issue

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There appear to be more question marks and intrigue around Aston Martin’s 2026 Formula 1 car than any of their rivals.

Many people predicted Mercedes to look good before the cars even took to the track for the first time, while newcomers Audi and Cadillac were always going to have low expectations.

However, when Aston Martin’s car rolled into the paddock for the first time on day four of the Barcelona shakedown, it certainly attracted plenty of attention.

Lance Stroll only managed a handful of laps that day, but Fernando Alonso had a more successful outing on Friday.

99 laps less than every other team – should we be concerned about Aston Martin’s new car? 👀

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Adrian Newey’s latest design was always going to attract plenty of attention, given his previous successes.

Newey has praised the sophistication of his latest design, but there are factors outside of his control at Aston Martin that might hamper the team’s chances.

There are concerns about Honda’s power unit, having decided later than their manufacturing rivals to get involved in the latest generation of engine creation.

Journalist Nelson Valkenburg has now suggested there are ‘rumblings’ over another issue at Aston Martin that could slow them down this season.

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Speaking about Aston Martin on the Nailing the Apex Podcast, Valkenburg explained: “I can’t wait to see it in the flesh. I really can’t.

“We need to see it in the flesh and make comparisons, and that’s maybe the frustrating part of this week that we haven’t been able to get up close, but we’ll get ample opportunity.

“But there’s also a big asterisk behind the team because there is more and more of a rumbling that there are issues with either the engine or the fuel or both.”

Co-host Tim Hauraney replied: “It seems like there are engine problems for sure. The last time Honda got involved, when they first came back into F1 with the hybrid power units, they did struggle, but then eventually, they ended up making one of the best power units on the grid.”

Valkenburg continued: “They completely redesigned and did basically a 180 to almost follow Mercedes’ lead in that. Will they have the time to do that in this day and age?

“I really want to make the point that all these engine manufacturers also had to work together with fuel suppliers to get this synthetic fuel right, and that’s not been easy.

“That could be a determining factor on performance, and obviously Aston Martin are working with Aramco, and I don’t think that partnership has a lot of experience in doing this, and Honda is not the Honda of last year with Red Bull.

“It’s a different group of people.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Aston Martin F1 team principal Adrian Newey

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Chairman Lawrence Stroll has invested heavily as he hopes Aston Martin can become one of the top teams in the paddock.

Newey now has a part-ownership stake in the team, and the likes of Enrico Cardile, Bob Bell and Andy Cowell were all coveted by other manufacturers on the grid.

His son, Lance Stroll, wouldn’t be the choice of many teams if they were aiming to win a championship, although Alonso doesn’t appear to have slowed down despite being 44 years old.

Jenson Button has now been brought in as an ambassador from Williams this season, and while he’s not going to add anything to Aston Martin’s on-track performance, he becomes the latest recognisable face to join the team.

Button is aiming to help Alonso this year, but unless he’s suddenly earned an engineering degree or understands sustainable fuels, he won’t be able to help fix Aston Martin’s latest issues.