Adrian Newey reveals key positive from Aston Martin’s ‘disastrous’ start with Honda. Adrian Newey explains what Aston Martin gained from difficult Honda start.

Adrian Newey believes Aston Martin’s extremely difficult start to its 2026 partnership with Honda has produced one important positive: a much stronger working relationship between the Formula 1 team and the Japanese manufacturer. Aston Martin and Honda began their new works partnership at the start of the season alongside Formula 1’s new generation of power units, but both sides encountered significant problems during the opening phase of the campaign. Aston Martin has since introduced a major upgrade package in Hungary, while Honda is preparing its own power unit evolution for Zandvoort.

For Newey, the technical difficulties have forced the two organisations to work more closely together. Despite describing the beginning of the collaboration as “disastrous”, the Aston Martin team principal believes the relationship itself has developed considerably and could become an important foundation for future performance. Aston Martin officially entered its works partnership with Honda for the 2026 season, while Newey took on the Team Principal role as part of the team’s leadership structure.

Adrian Newey sees one positive in Aston Martin-Honda partnership

Asked about the progress of the Aston Martin Honda partnership, Adrian Newey highlighted the way the relationship between the two organisations has evolved during their difficult opening months together.

“What has really improved is precisely the word you have just used: the relationship,” Adrian Newey said. “From what can only be described as a disastrous start, the positive aspect, because you always have to try to find something positive, is that it has led Honda and us at AMR to develop a very close working relationship.”

The significance of that progress goes beyond day-to-day cooperation. Aston Martin and Honda are working as a factory partnership under the 2026 regulations, meaning the integration between chassis and power unit development is a fundamental part of the long-term project. Honda itself described the objective for 2026 as ensuring that the partnership operates as one integrated team.

Aston Martin Hungary upgrade brings significant performance gain

Aston Martin’s latest upgrade package, introduced at the Hungarian Grand Prix, delivered a significant improvement in lap-time performance, even though the team remains a considerable distance behind the leading Formula 1 outfits.

The revised car provided the first meaningful evidence that Aston Martin may be moving in the right technical direction after its difficult start to the season. The Hungary package also gave the team clearer indications about the development path it needs to follow during the second half of 2026.

For Adrian Newey, maintaining a strong and harmonious relationship with Honda will be essential if Aston Martin is to convert those technical gains into sustained competitiveness.

“We continue to develop this relationship in every respect. So I’m very pleased with the progress we’re making from a collaboration point of view,” Adrian Newey explained.

He then summed up the link he sees between the partnership and performance: “Normally, when relationships improve, performance improves as well.”

Honda power unit upgrade adds to Aston Martin’s Zandvoort hopes

The next stage of the project will come when Formula 1 resumes at Zandvoort, where Honda is expected to introduce an evolution of its power unit. Aston Martin will therefore arrive in the Netherlands having already made a significant step with the chassis in Budapest and hoping for further progress from the engine side.

The Dutch Grand Prix will offer another important test of whether the improvements seen in Hungary can be carried into a different circuit environment. The 2026 Dutch Grand Prix schedule at Zandvoort confirms the next stage of the championship following the summer break.

For Aston Martin, however, the broader significance lies in the relationship Newey believes has emerged from the difficulties of the opening races. The first months of the Honda partnership may have been far more complicated than expected, but the closer cooperation created during that period could now prove important as both sides attempt to turn technical development into stronger results on track.