F1 News: Honda reveal British Grand Prix uncertainty after Aston Martin testing

Alonso looking sad in Aston Martin kit with union jack and London background — Photo: © IMAGO

Honda

Honda reveal British Grand Prix uncertainty after Aston Martin testing

At least Honda and Aston Martin won't have far to travel for the British GP

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Tuesday 30 June 2026 19:44

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A Honda spokesperson has admitted the Japanese power unit providers face some unknowns in F1 this weekend as they head to their home race with Aston Martin, the British Grand Prix.

Lawrence Stroll's F1 team HQ is just a stone's throw away from the Silverstone circuit and Honda's UK base isn't far either considering they are situated in Milton Keynes.

But whilst the Silverstone squad and their power unit partners are one of the many outfits who get to enjoy the perks of a home race this time out, neither party is under any illusion that they will suddenly find the remedy to their 2026 woes.

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Since the start of the sport's new regulations era, Aston Martin have struggled with an overweight chassis and problematic power unit.

F1 design legend Adrian Newey has been working hard in the background to improve the squad's chances across the second half of the season, confirming that an aerodynamically focused upgrade is on the horizon, although it won't arrive in time for the British GP.

Honda and Aston Martin gear up for Silverstone challenge

Whilst Newey is choosing to look ahead of the ninth round of the championship to the Hungarian GP (where Aston Martin are expecting to bring their first upgrade) Honda have issued a statement regarding the challenges they expect to face in Silverstone.

Speaking ahead of the British GP weekend, Shintaro Orihara, Honda's Trackside General Manager and Chief Engineer, said: "Silverstone’s track is very close to both the AMR Technology Campus and Honda Racing Corporation UK, making it a special event for both entities with lots of fans, colleagues and their family members in the crowd.

"The circuit itself has several high-speed corners and mid-speed corners, like at Suzuka," he continued.

Orihara then revealed that despite running tests on the sim with Aston Martin, they don't actually know how the throttle will be used y Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll until they get out on track for the one and only practice session on Friday.

For the first time since the inaugural event in 2021, the British GP is hosting a sprint weekend, putting even more pressure on Aston Martin and Honda to maximise the learning done on track in FP1 before the competitive sessions take over.

"Energy management will be challenging, because the drivers’ throttle application is unknown until we have track running," he admitted.

"Of course, we have done some simulator sessions with Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team to predict how the throttle will be used, but it remains an uncertainty until practice. This will be one of the first things we look at from a power unit perspective.

He then ended on a note that any British motorsport fan knows all too well: "The UK weather is also unpredictable, and we need to be prepared for rain – even if it’s not currently forecast," he said.

Turning his attention to how that will translate on track, he concluded: "So, we will be ready for those low-grip situations in terms of MGU-K deployment and driveability."

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