F1 2026: Adrian Newey led Honda astray...and he won't back down

Photo: © IMAGO

Adrian Newey

Adrian Newey led Honda astray...and he won't back down

The Newey-era at Aston Martin has got off to a calamitous start

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Saturday 11 April 2026 09:57

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The AMR26 may be a monster to drive, but here's why Aston Martin F1 team principal Adrian Newey won't back down over his concept.

Not only backmarkers, Aston Martin are currently scratching their heads over how to get both cars to finish a race in 2026 given the peculiarities with the AMR26 design and the vibrations from the Honda power unit.

The five-week break between the Japanese and Miami Grands Prix has never been more crucial, both at Silverstone and Sakura as the Honda-Aston Martin boffins start the long road towards recovery.

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ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) may be the first step in the right direction for the struggling Honda power unit, but Aston Martin have been warned they must get to grips with the cause of their issues before introducing upgrades.

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Why are Aston Martin and Honda struggling in 2026?

While that answer is currently on the top of the agenda to answer at both Aston Martin and Honda, the most pressing concern is the vibrations from the Honda PU.

These cause such discomfort Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll have been unable to finish two out of the first three rounds of the 2026 season.

F1 insider Mark Hughes also believes Honda's gremlins may also have something to do with Newey.

Speaking on the The Undercut podcast, he explained: "They think that part of the current Honda power unit vibration problem may be to do with the layout that Adrian asked them if it was possible to do when he arrived.

"Because he was quite late arriving last year and he wanted the power unit shortened. One way of doing that was to double stack the battery in the electronics and bring the MGU-K ahead of the engine rather than behind.

"Which creates all this lovely space to create downforce. Honda haven’t exactly put their finger on what the problem quite is yet - but it might be related to that."

Co-host and 1996 world champion Damon Hill then mused on the future of Aston Martin and suggested that, even though Newey has led them astray, the design legend won't back down over his concept. If anything he will continue until it proves to be successful.

Hill explained: "This is what I think Adrian will do. He’ll go: ‘We’ve got the fundamental goal achieved, we just need to make it work.'

"That seems to be the trend with Adrian, is that ‘now we’ve presented a problem to them, the installation is good, but now we have to find out how to make it work'. And he’ll keep pushing in that direction and then something will come of it.

"Either it will never work, which is unlikely because they nearly always do, but it will take some time."

F1 Aston Martin Adrian Newey Honda Damon Hill