Aston Martin’s AMR26 has been placed on the dynamometer in Sakura after the Suzuka weekend, as Honda continues its focused development work aimed at reducing vibrations and improving overall reliability. The Japanese manufacturer used the scheduling gap to bring the car back to its factory facility for deeper analysis.
Back on track in Miami
The unexpected month-long break in the Formula 1 calendar has given Honda valuable time to work on solving the vibration issues that have been affecting both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, making the car more difficult to handle in certain conditions.
Following the Japanese Grand Prix, one Aston Martin AMR26 remained at Sakura so that Honda engineers could run full-scale dynamometer testing with the complete car available for instrumentation and data collection.
“We took the opportunity to keep one of the AMR26 cars on site for further static testing in Sakura for the first time, focusing our efforts on reducing vibrations and therefore improving reliability,” said Honda’s trackside general manager Shintaro Orihara. “We have made progress, which will allow us to implement further countermeasures in Miami and later in the season. Realistically, these improvements will not have a visible impact on power unit performance on track, so we should not expect major performance jumps in that regard.”
“Miami is the first circuit of the 2026 calendar with many low-speed corners,” he added. “It is a unique track, featuring two long full-throttle sections and several slow-speed turns. This combination makes it interesting in terms of finding the right compromise for the car setup.”
“From a power unit perspective, improving drivability in the low-speed sections and optimising energy management in this part of the lap is a key factor in maximising performance. Miami is also the first hot race weekend of the season, so it is crucial to keep power unit temperatures under control in line with the new regulations.”
In summary, while the intensive lab work at Sakura marks a significant step in stabilizing the Aston Martin AMR26, the team is tempering expectations for a sudden surge in speed. The focus in Florida will be on smooth power delivery and thermal management, ensuring that Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll can fight for points without the physical toll of a vibrating cockpit. As the 2026 development race intensifies, these incremental reliability gains may prove to be the essential foundation for more ambitious performance upgrades later in the year.
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