While Aston Martin are \u201closing huge amounts of time\u201d down the straights, Lance Stroll does not believe that the Honda power unit is fully behind the team\u2019s struggles.<\/p>\n
Honda went into its home race, the Japanese Grand Prix, accepting that engine performance remained short of where it was desired to be. Yet, Stroll described the Aston Martin<\/a> AMR26 as \u201cnot the rippiest beast in the corners\u201d. He believes Aston Martin\u2019s struggles come from a \u201ccombination\u201d of car and engine.<\/p>\n Lance Stroll says Aston Martin AMR26 and Honda both at fault<\/p>\n Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n Suzuka was a further bruising experience for Aston Martin and Honda, in what has been a challenging start to F1 life for this partnership.<\/p>\n The AMR26 proved the slowest car over a single lap, though Fernando Alonso did make the chequered flag ahead of Valtteri Bottas\u2019 Cadillac come race day.<\/p>\n After the prior round in China, Alonso had suggested that turning down the Honda engine RPM was among the tactics being used to manage vibrations being felt by the drivers.<\/p>\n Stroll was therefore asked at Suzuka, after qualifying, how much greatly Aston Martin\u2019s issues were linked to the Honda engine being turned down.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s a combination of power unit and the car,\u201d he suggested in response.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re definitely losing huge amounts of time on the straights, but we\u2019re not the rippiest beast in the corners.<\/p>\n \u201cSo it\u2019s a combination of things.\u201d<\/p>\n More on Aston Martin from PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n Honda admits Aston Martin AMR26 worsens engine vibration issues<\/a><\/p>\n Brundle says his \u2018mate\u2019 Wheatley could join Aston Martin after leaving Audi<\/a><\/p>\n At the start of a new regulatory era, the F1 2026 development war is expected to be fierce, and unpredictable.<\/p>\n Stroll confirmed that Aston Martin has a \u201cplan\u201d of action, and \u201ctime will tell\u201d how effective it proves to be.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, progress in F1 is never fast enough,\u201d said Stroll.<\/p>\n \u201cSo right now, there\u2019s no progress, because we\u2019ve been in China and then straight to Japan, and we haven\u2019t had much time to throw things at the car in terms of development.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we have a plan for the next few months, and what that brings in lap time, time will tell.\u201d<\/p>\n Honda went into Japan confident that it had addressed its battery vibration issues to the extent of making a race finish possible.<\/p>\n That was achieved. Stroll retired from the race, but due to a water pressure issue.<\/p>\n As for the vibrations still being felt by the Aston Martin drivers, Honda has suggested that these become much worse when its PU is fitted into the AMR26.<\/p>\n Aston Martin\u2019s chief trackside officer Mike Krack had said, ahead of the Japanese GP race weekend getting underway, that measures has been put in place, ones that would be tested at Suzuka.<\/p>\n Stroll was asked after Friday practice whether the vibrations felt any better.<\/p>\n \u201cStill some work to do on that front,\u201d was Stroll\u2019s verdict.<\/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