A major controversy is brewing in Formula 1. Adrian Newey admits Aston Martin F1 Team only discovered key problems inside Honda’s power-unit project months after signing—leaving Fernando Alonso facing an uncertain road ahead.
Aston Martin confirmed that they were misled by Honda and that, had they known the actual conditions of the power unit, they would not have signed with them to use their power unit.
Adrian Newey, Fernando Alonso's team boss, spoke about this at a Formula 1 press conference at the start of the Australian Grand Prix weekend.
These were his words, published by Diario Marca: "No, Aston Martin was not aware of Honda's lack of experience when the official contract was signed, we didn't know.
"We only realized it in November last year, when Lawrence, Andy Cowell, and I went to Tokyo to discuss the rumors that were beginning to suggest that they would not reach the original target power for the first race, and as a result of that, it emerged that many of the original team members had not returned when they restarted... So the answer is no.
"It's very difficult to make a prediction at this point. I think Honda has a very clear plan to try to reduce the vibration coming from the power unit. They are working on it. It won't be a quick fix, as it involves fundamental balancing and damping projects that they will have to carry out. I can't comment on how quickly they will be able to achieve this, but that must be their main motivation.
“Once they overcome that, they will be able to focus on performance, but right now this vibration problem is absorbing all the energy in all areas. As I said, emotionally, our mechanics were up until four in the morning. So, of course, they are on their knees. The factory has been offering us a lot of support, so it's something we really need to try to fix as soon as possible,” he revealed.
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What was said about Adrian Newey's signing with Aston Martin?
Aston Martin officially announced Fernando Alonso's new teammate after many months of rumors about the move.
Lawrence Stroll's team announced the signing of Adrian Newey, former head of design at Red Bull Racing, at a press conference after several weeks of speculation about the move.
The announcement came during an event at Aston's Silverstone campus, where the Briton was introduced after being released from Red Bull.
Lawrence reported that Newey will first join as a shareholder and then as a member of the team for the team's technical chief.
The executive is expected to start work at the end of 2025, and his work will have an impact on the Spanish two-time world champion's car for the 2026 season.
Aston will thus have a new ally for the change in Formula 1 regulations, where it hopes Alonso will have his last chance to become world champion again.
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