Aston Martin–Honda battery concerns before the Chinese GP
Drivers affected
-
Fernando Alonso
-
Lance Stroll
Both drivers could face reliability risks due to issues with the team’s power-unit batteries.
What the problem is
The trouble centers on the battery (Energy Store) of the Honda power unit used by
Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team.
Severe vibrations from the battery have caused multiple problems:
-
Reliability issues on the car (mirrors and tail lights shaking loose)
-
Excessive vibration reaching the cockpit
-
Potential physical impact on drivers’ hands
According to the team’s managing technical partner
Adrian Newey:
-
Alonso feels he can drive about 25 laps before risking nerve damage in his hands.
-
Stroll estimates about 15 laps before reaching the same threshold.
Battery shortage concern
Teams are limited to three energy stores per season before penalties.
In Melbourne at the
Australian Grand Prix:
-
Alonso lost one battery before FP1.
-
Stroll lost another on Friday.
-
The team reportedly had only the two batteries installed in the cars remaining during the weekend.
If the earlier units cannot be repaired, both drivers could approach grid penalties early in the season.
Aston Martin and Honda’s response
Neither Aston Martin nor
Honda
will confirm how many batteries are available for the
Chinese Grand Prix.
Honda engineer
Shintaro Orihara
said the company is attempting to repair damaged batteries, but declined to reveal the exact count.
Current progress
Honda says it is working on two fronts:
-
Repairing damaged batteries to restore the spare pool.
-
Reducing battery vibrations, which is the root cause of the issue.
The team believes the situation is slightly better than it was in Melbourne, but reliability remains the top priority.
Key takeaway:
Aston Martin’s early 2026 season is being threatened by battery vibration and supply issues, which could affect reliability, driver comfort, and even lead to future grid penalties if the situation is not resolved quickly.