Aston Martin bets on energy‑management gains as Honda targets a breakthrough in Montreal
In Canada, Honda will try to “give drivers confidence in corner entry and cornering to unlock lap time,” says trackside leader Shintaro Orihara.
Aston Martin doesn’t have any major upgrades coming — not on the aero side and not from Honda’s power unit — but that doesn’t mean progress is off the table. Honda’s engineers believe they can start shaving off lap time by refining energy‑management strategy, a critical pillar of the 2026 F1 regulations. Right now, the AMR26 sits roughly 3.5 seconds per lap behind Mercedes in qualifying trim.
That gap isn’t just about chassis or engine performance. A significant chunk comes from imprecise planning of energy deployment and recovery, an area where Honda lags behind rivals simply because it has far less experience with the new hybrid rules. While Mercedes and Ferrari logged trouble‑free mileage in preseason testing, Honda barely turned laps.
Honda’s plan for Montreal
Shintaro Orihara, Honda’s trackside leader in F1, says Miami was a turning point:
“In Miami we confirmed improvements in battery‑related vibrations and overall reliability. It was also a key chance to learn about energy management under the updated 2026 rules, and we’ll continue that work in Canada.”
He emphasized two priorities:
- improving driveability, and
- sharpening energy‑management strategy.
If they can give the drivers more confidence on corner entry and allow them to carry more mid‑corner speed, Orihara says, they’ll unlock meaningful lap time.
Aston Martin’s slow but real progress
Fernando Alonso finished 15th in Miami — his best result of 2026 so far. He still hasn’t escaped Q1, but the team is at least stabilizing after a brutal start:
- Australia: barely able to run
- China: couldn’t finish races
- Japan: unable to fight other teams
- Miami: completed the race and even beat Cadillac
It’s incremental, but it’s progress.
Why Montreal is a unique challenge
Orihara also highlighted the specific demands of the Canadian Grand Prix — and the sprint‑weekend format, which again cuts down practice time:
- Only one long free‑practice session, making optimization crucial
- A very long straight, where energy delivery must be perfectly timed
- A sequence of slow corners before the back straight
- The tricky Turns 1 and 2
- Potential for cold temperatures or a wet track, which reduces grip
All of this makes driveability — the smooth coordination between the MGU‑K’s energy delivery and the internal‑combustion engine’s power — even more important.
If Honda and Aston Martin can get that balance right, Montreal could be the first weekend where the AMR26 starts to look like a real contender rather than a development mule.
Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.