Honda confirmed it will introduce the first significant countermeasures to the power unit just in time for the Japanese Grand Prix, a gesture that attempts to calm the waters after Alonso’s complaints.
The situation is critical, the AMR26 designed by Adrian Newey arrived with enormous expectations but the reality was something else. The car suffers severe vibrations, and Honda’s power unit hasn’t quite found the sweet spot in delivery.
In China, Alonso retired early, and Lance Stroll didn’t hide his desperation when he asked people to pray with him in the hope that the Japanese manufacturer can find the “magic” they so desperately need. It’s worth noting that the Spaniard, after the race, said, “Hopefully Honda does their homework and we see progress in Japan.”
From the Japanese brand they acknowledged that the first kilometers were insufficient although they wanted to highlight that in Shanghai they were able to add more laps than in Australia, a data point they take as encouraging while they prepare the updates for Suzuka, but the distrust within the team is high.
Stroll anticipated another fiasco and said that unless they find the magic solution in the coming days, he doesn’t know what’s going to happen.
The problem goes beyond the power unit, according to technical analyses that circulated in specialized media the chassis is very tight and that there’s no free space, everything is sacrificed in the name of aerodynamics because for Newey that is the supreme law. Andrew Garrison, former technical director of an F1 team, pointed out that the level of integration between the engine and the car is so extreme that any misadjustment gets multiplied.
In Honda they assure that the countermeasures they’re bringing to Suzuka are significant but even so the margin to test them is minimal, the Japanese brand was heavily criticized in the first races but within the team there are those who believe Aston Martin should also take responsibility for their part, especially when talking about a chassis that leaves no room for quick solutions.
The relationship between both brands is already starting to become very tense, while Honda faces public reproaches from Silverstone they insist that it would be better if Stroll looked for a real team principal and let Newey focus on designing cars instead of running a structure that’s falling apart. The complaint makes sense because the Englishman never had a vocation for management and his experience at the helm of the team ended in just four months.
For Suzuka, the pressure is at its maximum; Honda needs to prove that the chosen path is the right one, and Aston Martin has to avoid another black weekend that could sink the confidence of a project that started with great fanfare. The first chapters of this story were a disaster, and time is starting to work against them. The paddock will be watching to see if the improvements arrive or if Stroll’s pleas end up being just another anecdote.