Aston Martin wanted to make a turning point at Suzuka with Honda. The result? A car that finished the race… but a harsh assessment from Fernando Alonso: the performance is still far from what's needed.
Alonso: "The pace wasn't there in any of the weekend's sessions."
On paper, it's Aston Martin had reason to be satisfied: for the first time, the AMR26 powered by Honda saw the arrival of a Grand Prix. A small technical success in a chaotic start to the season. But internally, no one is fooled.
Fernando Alonso, only 18th at Suzuka, quickly calmed the enthusiasm: " “Yes, absolutely. Completing the distance gives us important data,” he acknowledged. before uttering the phrase that sums it all up "The rhythm was lacking in all the weekend sessions." In other words, while the car sometimes holds its own, it remains unable to compete.
Subheading: An AMR26 in total distress
The diagnosis is definitive. Aston Martin evolves at the back of the grid, neck and neck with the least competitive teams… or even in a category of their own. Lance stroll he summed it up with a touch of irony: We were fighting in our own Aston Martin championship. A sentence that speaks volumes about the gap with the rest of the peloton.
In both qualifying and the race, the single-seater was the slowest on the grid. Alonso He himself was never able to fight, content to survive in a race where the main objective was to see the checkered flag.
Subheading: The real problem: vibrations and reliability
Behind this lack of performance lies a much more worrying problem: vibrations in the powertrain. HondaAlready in China, Alonso had mentioned a loss of sensation in his hands and feet. At Suzuka, the situation improved slightly… without disappearing: It was better… but it was still there “, he admitted.
A major problem that impacts not only comfort, but also the ability to fully utilize the car. Meanwhile, Stroll He too was forced to abandon the race, probably due to a water pressure issue, confirming that reliability remains fragile.
A huge undertaking despite Honda
The arrival of Honda was supposed to mark a new beginning for Aston Martin. For now, she's mainly emphasizing the scale of the gap. Yes, finishing a race is progress. But in Formula 1, surviving isn't enough. And Alonso He knows better than anyone: without performance, even small technical victories sound like illusions.
