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Honda are set to introduce some major upgrades this weekend, but they could end up revealing the real issues within Adrian Newey’s Aston Martin chassis.
Aston Martin’s issues this season have completely derailed any progress they made over the last few years.
Newey made it no secret that Honda were to blame for the power unit issues, and this ended up creating a serious strain on the relationship between Aston Martin and the Japanese supplier.
Have Aston Martin already ‘completely ruined’ their relationship with Honda?
The situation got so bad that Honda decided to divert funds from their MotoGP division to try to expedite the search for a solution.
And it appears Honda are ready to implement a major solution this weekend, but it could unravel a lot of the work Adrian Newey put into the chassis.
READ MORE: The FIA won’t help Aston Martin after Adrian Newey’s attempt to ‘exaggerate’ Honda’s engine issues
Honda fixing engine issues could expose Aston Martin gearbox
Honda are confident about unveiling some upgrades to their power unit to curb the vibration issue that they are facing.
Should these issues be effectively addressed, it could give Aston Martin the boost they need to try and get back on track.
However, should Honda implement these solutions and still find that the vibration issue persists, it could be a glaring indicator that Aston Martin’s gearbox is the cause of the problem.
Until last year, Aston Martin would purchase both their power units and their gearboxes from Mercedes.
This season, as they pivoted to Honda for their power unit, they relied on Adrian Newey to construct the gearbox for them, according to AutoSport Japan.
Newey has insisted that the issues Aston Martin are currently facing have nothing to do with the work he has done.
However, if Honda’s solutions are able to fix the power unit but the vibration issue still persists due to the gearbox, it could prove that Adrian Newey’s work has backfired.
The Japanese Grand Prix is set to be a big test for both Honda and Aston Martin, as it could prove where the real problems have existed this entire time.
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What was your immediate reaction to the news? Let us know in the comments below!
Aston Martin hoping Jonathan Wheatley can address major issues going forward
As things stand, Adrian Newey is set to vacate his role as team principal for Aston Martin. In his place, Jonathan Wheatley is expected to take the reins at Aston Martin.
The hope is that, with Newey focusing more on the engineering side, Jonathan Wheatley can manage the day-to-day operations of the team well enough.
Newey’s handling of the Honda situation showed that he is not suited for the role. In his place, Wheatley can take over and steady the ship for Aston Martin.
However, fans of Aston Martin cannot expect results overnight. Their situation is so dire that it will require them to be patient.
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