F1 insider insists Fernando Alonso and Honda relationship can NEVER be repaired

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F1 insider insists Fernando Alonso and Honda relationship can NEVER be repaired

Alonso's track record with Honda engines in F1 is not a positive one

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Thursday 26 February 2026 09:43

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Aston Martin's F1 2026 pre-season testing disaster has led to claims that it is not Adrian Newey who is the cause of the problem, but instead Honda.

The 2026 championship will introduce a complete overhaul of the chassis and power unit regulations, but it also marks the first season where Aston Martin are competing as a Honda works partner, with the Japanese giants providing the new power unit for Newey's first Aston Martin F1 car.

Having left Red Bull in May 2024, Newey signed with rival outfit Aston Martin, and heads into the 2026 campaign as not just their managing technical partner, but also their team principal.

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But the Silverstone squad's first campaign with Newey onboard has gotten off to a disastrous start after suffering with chassis and power unit issues during pre-season testing, finishing the stints with just 399 laps to their name, the lowest out of all 11 F1 teams.

To make matters worse, Honda confirmed a battery problem on the final day of testing in Bahrain, admitting that Aston Martin had to limit their running to 30-minute intervals, not only because of the battery issue, but also due to a shortage of power unit parts.

But all these issues on Honda's side are likely giving Fernando Alonso a sense of deja vu having endured similar issues with his Honda-powered McLaren in 2015.

Are Alonso and Honda destined to fail?

Having previously won four consecutive constructors' championships with McLaren between 1988 and 1991, things did not go so well when the brands paired up again in 2015, when Alonso drove for the British team.

Just like in 2026, Honda's issues with McLaren were made immediately clear during pre-season testing, when the MP4-30 continuously broke down. Two-time champion Alonso famously likened Honda's power unit to a GP2 engine, something which F1 insider Ralf Schumacher believes has done irreparable damage to the relationship between the Spaniard and Honda.

Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Backstage Boxengasse Podcast, ex-F1 driver Schumacher said: "The main problem isn't really the car. Apparently, the Honda engine is also an issue in itself. And yes, it's a bit of deja vu for Fernando Alonso, who already experienced Honda's early days at McLaren, which didn't go well at all.

"And that's probably where the problem lies. It's not easy, because of course Ferrari and Mercedes have comparison teams with their engines and can see straight away whether they have a problem or not. The others don't have that, of course."

When Alonso's sketchy past with Honda was brought up, Schumacher used his own experience with Toyota to suggest that the relationship between the driver and the power unit provider may never heal.

"I don't think you forget something like that, because it leaves its mark, being so open and honest," Schumacher continued.

"What Fernando did back then was, of course, harsh criticism, but he was also a bit younger and, how shall I put it, a bit more impetuous at the time. But you don't forget that in Japan.

"I can say for myself that even I, with my statements at Toyota, am certainly not part of the family and friends circle now. That's just the way it is. And Japan is a different culture anyway. A culture that I love."

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F1 Aston Martin Fernando Alonso 2026 regulations Honda