Honda disappointed by 2026 progress, says Adrian Newey

Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey told reporters at a Friday press conference in Austin that Honda were disappointed with the limited progress the power unit had made. The manufacturer had struggled with vibration and reliability issues early on, and although the FIA allowed Honda to spend more on development, Aston Martin remains 10th in the championship, ahead of only Cadillac.

Honda’s internal combustion engine and turbo upgrades – called ADUO – have not yet enabled Aston Martin to fight regularly for points. Newey acknowledged that the steps taken this year were not as far ahead as he and Honda had hoped, and he pointed to the rule changes that will lift boost pressure and increase fuel flow for 2027 as a reason for optimism.

During the press conference, Newey referred to data from GPS tracking, saying that a detailed analysis would reveal where the weakness lies in the Aston Martin‑Honda package. He did not attribute blame but indicated that the information is now available for work to improve performance.

Looking forward, Newey said Honda looks set to revamp its power unit design for next year, in line with the upcoming rule shift. He described the team at Sakura in Japan as full of energy and early‑stage projects, and said he saw a lot of promise in them.