During the first three days of testing in Bahrain on Friday, February 13, 2026, several challenges for Aston Martin emerged. The teams are scheduled to return to the Sakhir circuit next week for another three days of testing, from February 18 to 20. Following delays that caused Aston Martin to miss part of the collective shakedown in Barcelona, the Silverstone team faced additional problems in Bahrain.
The challenges of the new Aston Martin car
The 2026 season marks a new era for Aston Martin under the guidance of Adrian Newey. In addition to a car fully designed by the former Red Bull technical genius, the Silverstone team must also manage another significant change: the power unit. Aston Martin will now be powered by Honda. However, from the very first kilometers, several issues have already surfaced. Matteo Bobbi, an F1 expert and commentator for Sky Sport F1, highlighted four key problems in a video on his YouTube channel that Aston Martin will need to address before the Australian Grand Prix and in future upgrades.
Matteo Bobbi explained: “They have synchronization issues between the gearbox and engine, reminding us that Aston Martin was not used to building their own gearbox because they previously used Mercedes gearboxes. This year they had to produce their own gearbox. Honda does not manufacture gearboxes, and they are experiencing significant synchronization problems between the gearbox and the engine. As a result, they have to run the engine at lower power to avoid breaking the transmission, which would also cost them valuable track time and laps.”
A second issue involves the Honda power unit itself. According to Matteo Bobbi, “It is experiencing a lot of vibrations that are creating problems across all the accessories around the power unit.”
Another concern relates to overheating: “They are suffering from overheating on the power unit side.” Finally, there is a problem that could severely affect performance: the overall weight of the Aston Martin car. Matteo Bobbi concluded: “They are very overweight, almost 40 kilograms over. That alone costs them over one and a half seconds per lap. While we know the weight issue will be addressed with future upgrade packages, the other problems will be more difficult to solve.”
The challenges facing Aston Martin suggest that the transition to becoming a full works team with Honda is proving more complex than many anticipated. While the design genius of Adrian Newey is rarely questioned, the mechanical integration of a self-produced gearbox with a new engine partner is a steep learning curve that even the best engineers must climb. If the 40kg weight penalty isn’t trimmed down rapidly, the 2026 season could transform from a title-hunting campaign into a year-long rescue mission for the Silverstone squad.
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