The Honda power unit in the Aston Martin AMR26 had a disastrous preseason testing as it failed to produce power figures anywhere close to the rivals and faced multiple reliability issues. As per the latest reports, the timelines for the Honda power unit upgrade have surfaced, and it’s not looking good for the Silverstone-based squad.

The AMR26 completed the least mileage during the preseason tests, with Honda’s power unit being a huge reason behind it. The team noticed a data anomaly on one of the test days, which compromised running, followed by battery issues in the second Bahrain test.

It was later revealed that the vibrations from the Honda power unit were causing battery-related issues. Lance Stroll came out ahead of the Australian GP and highlighted the feeling of driving the AMR26 as an electrocution given the intense vibrations.

Another key issue was the performance of the Honda power unit. The report claimed that the internal combustion engine didn’t rev as high as the rivals, and Newey also spoke in front of the F1 commission about the issues with Honda’s hybrid system’s performance complaints.

Amid all this, Aston Martin arrived in Australia for the first race of the season with Honda attempting some temporary fixes. According to Michael Schmidt vía Auto Motor und Sport (AMuS), a definitive solution for the Honda engine wouldn’t arrive for at least two months.

Aston Martin will likely retire the car in Melbourne after a handful of laps, given the reliability issues and the vibrations. With at least two months expected until a permanent fix, that’s the first quarter of the season in the bin for the Silverstone-based squad, enough to end any championship hopes.

Reports claimed that the Adrian Newey-designed Aston Martin AMR26 produced astonishing levels of downforce, only to be let down by the power unit. Even if Honda is able to get the power unit fixed and anywhere close to the level of the rivals, the championship would’ve long been sailed.

Inability to get a proper fix for two months also means the inability to run properly and gather data from the new car, putting the team at a disadvantage for the next season.

Adrian Newey highlights Aston Martin drivers suffering from the Honda powerunit vibrations

While Honda had brought in a temporary fix to make the battery pack resistant to the vibrations, the root cause of the vibration hasn’t been identified yet. Also, the vibrations are making their way into the cockpit and affecting the Aston Martin drivers.

Speaking about the same, Adrian Newey explained,

“But the much more significant problem with that is that that vibration is transmitted ultimately into the driver’s fingers. So Fernando is of the feeling that he can’t do more than 25 laps consecutively before he will risk permanent nerve damage to his hands. Lance is of the opinion that he can’t do more than 15 laps before that threshold.”

Fernando Alonso came out and suggested he will win a championship with the Aston Martin & Honda partnership, but is not sure if he’ll be in the driver’s role for that, since time isn’t on his side.