Schumacher calls Honda an 'embarrassment' and urges Aston Martin to switch to Mercedes

Speaking on Sky Deutschland's Backstage Boxengasse podcast, the former F1 driver drew attention to Red Bull Ford's rapid success in building a competitive engine programme from scratch in under five years, arguing that Honda's inability to match that progress despite having far greater resources and experience is inexcusable. Schumacher left no room for ambiguity about what the team should do next: "If I were in an important role at Aston Martin, then I wouldn't waste any time and would change the engine."

While Schumacher acknowledged Audi could eventually produce a competitive power unit, he described their programme as "still a bit in their infancy" and identified Mercedes as the safer route. He argued that Aston Martin should adopt the full Mercedes package if possible, including the gearbox and rear axle alongside the powertrain, to eliminate the biggest potential sources of error. Aston Martin ran Mercedes power units from 2009 through 2025 before switching to Honda for the new regulations.

The timing is especially sensitive, with Alonso still undecided about 2027. His long-time adviser Flavio Briatore painted a bleak picture in Corriere della Sera, saying Alonso "never gives up, even when he's dealing with a tragedy like this year". The comments will add to growing pressure on Honda to deliver a major step forward with its power unit.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend has underlined the urgency. As GPblog reported earlier this week, both Alonso and Lance Stroll will start from the back of the grid after the team exceeded the permitted power unit component allocation, with combined penalties rising to 50 grid places.

Alonso's newly installed engine then developed a suspected oil leak in FP2, restricting the Spaniard to just nine laps. The team has scored only three points across the entire 2026 season, having been hampered by severe engine vibrations since the start of the year.

Reports have emerged that Lawrence Stroll has begun a dialogue with Mercedes about a potential return to their engines, though any switch could not take effect before 2028.