Honda claim Aston Martin also to blame for AMR26 extreme vibrations

Speaking to the media at Friday's press conference in Suzuka, the Honda boss also highlighted their late start to 2026 development compared to other teams, but said the AMR26's problems do not lay squarely with their job on the power unit.

Extreme battery vibrations have been the main concern for Aston Martin since the start of the season, with team principal Adrian Newey suggesting in Australia that drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were 'risking permanent nerve damage' should they complete a full race.

When asked how Honda could go from winning multiple championships with Red Bull up to 2025 to the current situation at Aston Martin, Watanabe made sure to highlight the Silverstone-based team's role in the torrid start.

He said: "Yes, of course, we have enough experience until 2025. So, as I told you, the most difficult point is that we start the development a bit later than compared to the others."

Notably, Wantanabe focused on his claim that the power unit vibrations were at a reasonable level during dyno testing, before being integrated into the Aston Martin's Newey-designed chassis.

Aston Martin has now confirmed to GPblog that Alonso is expected to hit the track for the second practice session in Suzuka.

The two-time world champion missed FP1 and Thursday's media day after his partner, Melissa Jimenez, reportedly gave birth to their first child.

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