The FIA could do Aston Martin a ‘favour’ by making late change to F1 hybrid rules

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Aston Martin may receive some much-needed, if inadvertent, assistance from the FIA after their desperate winter. A new cap on battery power would help engine suppliers Honda considerably.

Aston Martin could be the slowest team in F1 heading to the Australian Grand Prix, a fairly disastrous performance relative to expectations. There’s a chance that newcomers Audi and even Cadillac could outpace them.

With Adrian Newey at the helm, there’s optimism that Aston Martin will quickly eradicate the issues with their chassis. The car was plagued by overheating as well as handling problems during testing.

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But the ceiling of the AMR26 will remain low as long as the Honda engine malfunctions. Even on the last day of running, the Japanese manufacturer had to impose a meagre mileage limit due to serious battery issues.

Honda will benefit if FIA impose new F1 battery power limit

F1 power units are almost 50% electric this year, but Honda batteries ‘kept failing’ in Bahrain.

Even when the car was running, Honda couldn’t get close to the energy limit of 350 kilowatts.

During testing, teams trialled a lower limit of 250kW amid concerns that energy management practices may be going too far. In practice, this means the internal combustion engine would account for a greater share of the car’s output.

• READ MORE: F1 teams might need an ‘extra free practice session’ at Australian Grand Prix amid battery concerns

Honda can’t hit 250kW yet, but the change, which would require approval from the FIA, F1 management and a majority of the teams, would bring them closer to a competitive state. It won’t come in for Australia but could still be introduced early in the season if it’s seen as necessary for the spectacle.

“It’s very complicated for the Honda engine to be fixed in time for Australia, mainly due to deadline issues to get it to the circuit on time,” journalist Carlos Miquel explained on COPE GP. “But it’s possible, we have to wait.

He added: “If the FIA increases the combustion share by 10% compared to the electrical part, it would do Honda a favour.”

Aston Martin are only going to Australia to fulfil contracts

Speaking on his Twitch channel, Italian reporter Roberto Chinchero said Aston Martin would take part in the Australian Grand Prix solely out of contractual obligation. If it were solely up to them, they might even skip the event to focus on development, with points unrealistic at this stage.

“Aston Martin is going to Australia only because the Concorde Agreement requires it to do so,” he said.

While Chinchero may be exaggerating, his statement encapsulates just how far off the pace Newey’s team are right now.

There have even been suggestions that Aston Martin won’t hit the 107% time in Melbourne, denying them a place on the starting grid, but if they can maintain the testing differential, they will be fine in that regard.