Spaniard claims limitation would not prevent a full race, but demands a solution for Honda engine failure
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Fernando Alonso sought to downplay concerns surrounding the limitations of the new Aston Martin car for the 2026 Formula 1 season, but made it clear that the team needs to find a quick solution to the problems identified at the start of the championship.
During the pre-season, reports emerged that the team’s drivers could be limited to stints of around 25 laps at the Australian Grand Prix due to strong vibrations generated by the new Honda power unit. According to initial information released by the team, the frequency of these vibrations could cause physical discomfort for the drivers and even the risk of more severe damage if exposure were prolonged.
The statement gained traction after the team’s technical chief, Adrian Newey, mentioned that Alonso had cited this 25-lap limit. The driver himself, however, sought to contextualize the situation.
“It’s not that painful. It’s not difficult to control the car,” Alonso stated. “The adrenaline is much greater than any pain. If we were fighting for the win, we could stay in the car for three hours.”
The Spaniard explained that the sensation caused by the vibrations appears after about 20 to 25 minutes of continuous driving, causing a slight numbness in the hands or feet.
“You feel a bit of numbness, I think that’s the word, in your hands or feet. It’s something unusual and shouldn’t be there. We also don’t know what the consequences would be if we continued driving like this for months. A solution needs to be implemented.”
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The problems are mainly linked to the vibrations of the new engine, which are reportedly affecting not only the driver but also internal components of the AMR26, including the hybrid system and the energy storage integrated into the chassis.
The start of the season has been challenging for Aston Martin. The car arrived late to testing and faced reliability difficulties, completing only a few laps at a time before experiencing failures. The situation has also put pressure on the new partnership with Honda, which has returned to supplying power units to the team.
Despite the difficulties, Alonso demonstrated confidence that the problem will be resolved.
“The engine vibrations are affecting the car’s components a bit,” he explained. “But every day in Sakura they are working to find solutions. Since Bahrain, we have already had some tests and some changes have been implemented in the car.”
“I have 100% confidence that Honda will solve this, because they have done it in the past. They have always been competitive and will continue to be one of the great engines in Formula 1.”
Even with the adjustments tested so far, sources indicate that the problem has not yet been completely solved. Although improvements have been made to the robustness of the hybrid system, the origin of the vibrations in the combustion engine has not yet been fully identified, and the power unit still cannot operate at maximum RPM.
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