Aston Martin targeting first points of 2026 as Honda highlights key improvement. Honda confident Aston Martin can benefit from improved drivability in Monaco.

Monaco a huge opportunity to score points? Honda: “We have improved drivability”

The Monaco Grand Prix could represent a major opportunity for Aston Martin as the team continues its search for its first points of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

Aston Martin still without points

There are only two teams still without a single point in the Constructors’ Championship after the opening five races of the 2026 campaign: Cadillac and Aston Martin. While Cadillac’s struggles are understandable given its status as a newcomer to Formula 1, the disappointing performance of the Aston Martin-Honda partnership was certainly not anticipated, especially to this extent from a sporting perspective.

The Monaco Grand Prix could provide the ideal opportunity to rely on the talent of a true Monaco specialist such as Fernando Alonso in an effort to secure the team’s first points of the season.

“The Monaco circuit is truly unique, and our power units require specific preparation to adapt to its characteristics,” explained Honda engineer Shintaro Orihara. “We have worked extensively at Aston Martin’s headquarters to improve drivability and energy management. As far as cooling is concerned, Monaco’s low-speed sections present a challenge. We need to find the optimal cooling specification.”

Orihara also stressed the importance of making the most of every minute of practice running during the race weekend.

“This weekend we have three hours of free practice, so it is essential to optimize energy management and monitor energy consumption,” he added. “Driver feedback will also be extremely important because energy management has a significant impact on drivability.”

“Monaco features many low-speed corners, so maximizing drivability is crucial in order to give the drivers the highest possible level of confidence. In these conditions, drivability can be a real source of lap time.”

With overtaking notoriously difficult around the streets of the Principality, qualifying performance and driver confidence often play an even greater role than outright pace. That is why Honda believes the improvements made in drivability and energy management could become key factors for Aston Martin as it looks to finally get off the mark in the 2026 championship.