Bad news for Aston Martin fans: The struggling British team will probably only be behind in the Formula 1 race in Miami on Sunday. This gloomy forecast was announced in advance by the engine manufacturer Honda.
Honda had around a month to get its stubborn drive unit up to speed for the Formula 1 weekend in Miami. One of the AMR26s was therefore taken directly to the factory in Sakura after the race in Suzuka so that the interaction between the engine and chassis could be examined. The Japanese company has now had to admit that this has achieved very little.
In the last four weeks, the focus has been on reducing vibrations and thereby increasing reliability, said Honda chief engineer Shintaro Orihara in a statement. This was partly successful and “progress” was achieved, according to the person responsible.
The big but followed: “Realistically speaking, this advance in engine performance will have no visible impact. So we shouldn’t expect any major improvements.” In other words: Even after weeks of analysis and intensive testing, the engine is still not competitive.
Aston Martin as the laughingstock of Formula 1
In Miami, Aston Martin is once again concerned with a minimum goal: perseverance. The team didn’t manage to do that in the first three races of the season, or only very rarely. Lance Stroll did not reach the finish line in any of the first three races. Fernando Alonso at least dragged himself to the black and white checkered flag in Suzuka – one lap behind in 18th place.
Things are turbulent at Aston Martin not only on the track but also off it. It is unclear how long Adrian Newey will continue to act in his dual role as team and technical manager. The star designer is reportedly determined to step down from his position as team boss. However, this plan, like many of the team’s other plans, has not yet been successfully implemented.