Before Formula 1 preseason testing began, hopes were incredibly high for Aston Martin, given Adrian Newey’s arrival, coupled with a new collaboration with Honda as their engine supplier. There were predictions for a potential world championship push or a top three finish at the very least. However, that expectation appears to be far from reality.
Preseason testing in Barcelona and Bahrain was very challenging for Aston Martin, as Honda’s engine performed the worst compared to the other four engine manufacturers. While there was some progression from Barcelona to Sakhir, there is still a major worry about whether the team will even run in the Melbourne season opener.
The Honda engine has seen a number of failures, in addition to its lack of performance, and there has been a lack of engine parts to even partake in adequate testing runs.
During the latter part of testing in Bahrain, Aston Martin ended up completing less than 10 laps due to a lack of parts. The suspicion is that Honda was down to their final battery, having been circulating through several of them rather quickly.
Could these failures push Honda out of F1?
The details of Aston Martin’s deal with Honda are not public; there is no known end date. If there is an exit clause within their terms, Aston Martin could quickly switch to Ferrari or Red Bull from 2027 onwards if their engines are some of the best on the grid.
In addition, this is not Honda’s first major failure in Formula 1, as they faced severe struggles in 2015 when they supplied McLaren.
That period of time was highlighted best by Fernando Alonso calling the engine a GP2 engine, considering how weak it was. Now 11 years later, the Spanish driver may be getting flashbacks.
While Honda had a strong tenure with Red Bull from 2019 to 2025, these major early blunders are still concerning, especially after the manufacturer's ill-fated McLaren stint. If the struggles continue throughout the 2026 season and even into 2027, the paddock could lose trust in Honda entirely, ultimately pushing them out of Formula 1 for good.