Aston Martin leaves Suzuka with small progress — and a long road ahead

Aston Martin left Suzuka with something they hadn’t achieved all season: a race finish. Fernando Alonso crossed the line in 18th, and Honda returned to its Sakura base believing the worst reliability issues are finally behind them.

The AMR26 is at least running with some consistency now, but the path back to basic competitiveness remains long and complicated. It will take a couple of months to overhaul the aerodynamics and lighten the chassis, and engine‑performance upgrades won’t be possible until mid‑summer. Still, there’s a growing sense that the team has survived the most painful phase of the crisis.

The warm embrace between Alonso and HRC president Koji Watanabe on the grid said it all: Aston Martin will only get out of this hole by sticking closely to Honda.

Relief, but no celebration

Inside the Aston Martin hospitality area, there was relief — but zero triumphalism. “The atmosphere in the team isn’t celebratory, that’s clear,” team principal Mike Krack told AS. “But if we look back, in Melbourne we were hoping to do six laps, and in Shanghai we could take part in the sessions, but it took a huge effort just to get on track. That wasn’t the case here. The cars were ready to run, and our modest goal was to finish the race with both cars. We managed it with one. It’s a small step in a long, long list of steps ahead.”

“We’re not good in high‑speed corners — and we’re overweight”

No one inside the team is pretending the AMR26’s problems are only Honda’s responsibility. Aston Martin has its own homework to do.

“We know we need to make massive steps — not small ones like the ones we’ve made on reliability,” Krack said. “We’ll use this break to take the first step, but we’re climbing a mountain. We’re not good in high‑speed corners, and we’re not at the minimum weight. There’s a lot of hard work ahead. And even if we fix that, Honda also isn’t where they want to be.”

Honda admits the harsh reality: no power reduction for reliability

Honda’s trackside leader, Tetsushi Orihara, confirmed what many feared: the Japanese manufacturer is not turning down engine power to protect reliability. In other words, what we’re seeing now is the full picture — and there’s no quick fix.

“It’s not a short‑term job,” Orihara said. “We’re focused on improving engine performance. We need to improve energy management, but the engine’s operating conditions are already close to the limit. There isn’t much margin.”

A four‑week break that couldn’t come at a better time

No team will benefit more from Formula 1’s four‑week break than Aston Martin and its engine partner Honda. They’ve stabilized the situation — now comes the hard part: making the car fast.

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.