Honda says it has been working closely with Aston Martin to \u201cenhance our countermeasures\u201d ahead of the resumption of the F1 2026 season at the Miami Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
Aston Martin has endured a troubled start to the new season, failing to score a point across the opening three races in Australia, China and Japan.<\/p>\n
Honda and Aston Martin working to \u2018enhance countermeasures\u2019<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n The team has been hamstrung by severe vibrations from Honda\u2019s F1 2026 engine, with team principal Adrian Newey airing concerns in Melbourne that drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll risk \u201cpermanent nerve damage\u201d by driving too many laps consecutively.<\/p>\n Honda deployed what it described as \u201ccountermeasures\u201d to its vibration problem for its home race in Suzuka, with the fixes appearing to work in Friday practice.<\/p>\n However, the countermeasures were not used in qualifying and the race due to reliability concerns.<\/p>\n Alonso went on to record Aston Martin\u2019s first race finish of 2026 in Japan, coming home a lapped 18th.<\/p>\n Go deeper: Aston Martin\u2019s troubled start to F1 2026<\/p>\n Adrian Newey faces brutal Aston Martin reality as AMR26 reliability crisis bites early<\/a><\/p>\n The real mistake Aston Martin made with Honda<\/a><\/p>\n The cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian grands prix has created a five-week gap in the calendar between Japan and Miami, buying Aston Martin and Honda time to resolve their early season woes.<\/p>\n And Shintaro Orihara, Honda\u2019s trackside general manager and chief engineer, has revealed that both parties have put the April break to good use with team and engine partner working together to \u201cenhance our countermeasures\u201d ahead of Miami.<\/p>\n In a clip posted to social media by Honda, Orihara said: \u201cAs you know, the Bahrain Grand Prix and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix were postponed, but that doesn\u2019t mean that the work has stopped.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter the Japanese Grand Prix, Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team members and Honda Racing Corporation have been working together at HRC Research and Development Centre in Sakura, about three hours from Tokyo.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have been working against the clock to enhance our countermeasures and the work will keep continuing as we approach the next F1 race in Miami.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know that things will take time, but we will keep working hard together.\u201d<\/p>\n Alonso gave positive feedback on the fixes to the vibrations at Suzuka, claiming the car felt \u201c80 per cent better\u201d in practice compared to his experiences of pre-season testing and the first two races of F1 2026.<\/p>\n The 44-year-old, who arrived late in Japan after attending the birth of his first child, did not appear to be aware that the fixes had been removed when he spoke to media after qualifying.<\/p>\n Addressing the vibration issue on Saturday at Suzuka, Alonso said: \u201cIt\u2019s still the biggest limiting factor.<\/p>\n \u201cYesterday, to be honest, the car felt completely normal. Nearly no vibration.<\/p>\n \u201cI was very positive this morning [but] I jump in the car and I have the same vibrations as ever.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd we didn\u2019t change anything, so that was a little bit difficult to understand.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are going through all the changes we did overnight to make sure that there is something yesterday on the car that is helping the vibrations.<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems like a bit of a random thing, so let\u2019s see tomorrow if we have a lucky day.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked if Friday practice in Japan was the first time he had felt no vibrations from the AMR26, Alonso replied: \u201cYeah, yeah.<\/p>\n \u201c[Compared to] testing and the first two races, yesterday was definitely 80 per cent better.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n