On paper, Aston Martin’s 2026 F1 project looks like the perfect plan to dominate with Adrian Newey given the freedom to design, Honda returning as a full works partner, Fernando Alonso still in the cockpit, and a massive amount of investments from Lawrence Stroll.
It is the sort of lineup that gets fans super excited ahead of the season, but after looking a little closer, things are not quite as simple as the early signs suggest that this new era could be a more complicated and demanding one than many expected. This is meant to be Aston Martin’s big leap into the front of the grid, but instead, there is a growing feeling that the start of the Honda era could be tougher than many expected.
Adrian Newey’s Aston Martin Dream Project That Suddenly Feels Complicated
The Silverstone-based outfit is no longer the small team it once was, as since Stroll took over, the team has built a brand-new factory, expanded its staff, and pulled in top-level talent. The signing of Newey was meant to be the final piece of the puzzle, but adding Honda into the mix later just made it perfect.
The problem is that F1 titles are not won on ambition alone, as execution matters, and right now, the Japanese engine maker appears to be trying to catch up in an area where rivals are already moving ahead.
Mercedes and Red Bull Powertrains have found performance through a secret engine trick where they might be running higher compression ratios than others. The FIA has accepted their understanding of the regulations, which means they get a small but useful power gain once the engine is running and the heat expands the metals.
Honda did not go down that route, as it took the rules more literally and now finds itself behind, and for Aston Martin, that is a frustrating place to begin a new partnership. This is not about one small detail, but is rather about starting a new era already on the back foot.
Honda’s Reset and the Weight of Expectations
Honda’s name carries huge respect in F1 as it fought Mercedes at the top for years and helped Red Bull win championships, but this 2026 project is not a straight continuation of that success.
The Japanese manufacturer effectively shut down its F1 program at the end of 2021, but its engines kept running at Red Bull, and staff was moved too, and when Honda decided to return for 2026 with Aston Martin, it had to rebuild.
There are also whispers about Honda being behind in battery development, as the 2026 engines will rely far more on electrical power, and the hybrid side now has to do much more of the heavy lifting. If Honda is not where it needs to be in that area, it is a serious concern, and for Alonso, there is also a personal angle, as he lived through Honda’s painful early hybrid years at McLaren.
Honda is also working under a cost cap now, and it is also understood that the Silverstone-based team is helping bankroll development, but there are limits, and that makes efficiency and decision-making even more important.
Aramco and a Fuel Test Like No Other
This will be the Saudi company Aramco’s first proper F1 fuel project, and although it has worked on sustainable fuels in F2 and F3, F1 is on another level entirely.
In modern F1, fuel is a performance tool, and it is tailored closely to the engine. Aston Martin is up against Shell at Ferrari, Petronas at Mercedes, ExxonMobil at Red Bull, and BP at Audi. These are suppliers with decades of experience at the sharp end of F1, while Aramco is new to this exact game.
If Aston Martin and Honda are even slightly behind on fuel performance, it will show during the races, and it will definitely hurt.
Andy Cowell’s role in all of this is important, as his job is to pull all these different pieces together and make sure the project moves in one clear direction, and that alone shows how complex this operation has become.
Aston Martin has the right people, the facilities, and the capital, and what it now needs is smooth execution because right now, it feels like there are too many moving parts and not enough margin for error.
The 2026 reset is a huge opportunity, and for Aston Martin and Honda, the foundations are still being laid while rivals are already finding clever gains, and that is not ideal going ahead.
