Fernando Alonso has raised fresh concerns over Honda’s power unit after another difficult weekend for Aston Martin at the Singapore Grand Prix, reopening a debate that had already emerged after Baku. While the Spaniard has repeatedly reported unusual behaviour from the engine, Honda has continued to insist that its technical checks have not identified a clear mechanical fault.
Aston Martin arrived at Marina Bay with significantly higher expectations after the progress shown in recent rounds. Inside the team, there was confidence that at least reaching Q2 should have been realistic, but the weekend instead highlighted the difficulties still surrounding the project in the first season of Formula 1’s new regulatory cycle.
Fernando Alonso continues to report Honda power unit problems
The tension did not begin in Singapore. During the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend in Baku, which ended in retirement for Fernando Alonso, the Spaniard had already pointed towards the power unit as a possible cause of Aston Martin’s problems.
“There was something unusual with the engine,” Fernando Alonso said at the time, making clear that he did not believe the problem was exclusively related to the car itself.
Honda responded quickly. Trackside chief Shintaro Orihara explained that the manufacturer’s checks had not revealed any obvious anomaly.
“Based on the data we have now and after checking everything, the engine appears to be fine.”
A similar situation developed again in Singapore. Alonso once more complained about the power unit, this time focusing particularly on the turbo during a weekend that never developed in the way Aston Martin had hoped.
Honda replaced Alonso’s turbo but says it was not faulty
Within Aston Martin, Alonso’s concerns appeared to have some technical basis, but Honda again maintained a different position.
The turbo was changed between Saturday and Sunday, yet Honda stopped short of acknowledging that the component had suffered an actual failure.
“It wasn’t [faulty]. We replaced it based on the driver’s feeling, which is the best indicator,” Shintaro Orihara explained.
The comment confirms that Honda acted on Alonso’s feedback by changing the component, while also maintaining that the manufacturer had not identified a definitive fault.
The issue adds to growing scrutiny around Aston Martin’s Honda package. Recent analysis has also highlighted the extent to which Aston Martin has been trying to compensate for its Honda power deficit through other areas of the car.
Aston Martin’s 2027 project becomes the decisive test
Beyond the individual problems in Baku and Singapore, the more important issue concerns the longer-term future of the Aston Martin-Honda partnership.
The 2026 season is still widely viewed as a learning year, but expectations were significantly higher when the new technical cycle began. Attention is therefore increasingly shifting towards the 2027 project as the point at which the partnership will face a more definitive judgement.
Alonso’s comments, however, suggest that patience is not unlimited.
“We couldn’t wait another five years,” Fernando Alonso said, summarising the sense of urgency surrounding Aston Martin’s Formula 1 project.
Honda remains Aston Martin’s biggest technical question
Aston Martin now possesses many of the elements considered necessary to compete at the front of Formula 1. The team has made major investments, built state-of-the-art facilities and recruited leading figures throughout its technical organisation.
That leaves the power unit as one of the most significant remaining questions surrounding the project.
Confidence in Honda has not disappeared within Aston Martin. There remains a belief that the Japanese manufacturer can recover the performance deficit and provide a competitive foundation for the future.
However, repeated episodes such as those in Baku and Singapore inevitably keep attention focused on the engine. Honda’s reliability picture has also attracted scrutiny throughout the season, with Aston Martin drivers accumulating a particularly high number of power-unit components as the campaign has progressed.
Pressure growing ahead of Aston Martin’s next major step
The disagreement between Alonso’s sensations in the cockpit and Honda’s analysis of the data does not necessarily prove that the power unit is the sole cause of Aston Martin’s problems. It does, however, underline the uncertainty the team must resolve before its next car arrives.
Reports of wider uncertainty around the partnership have already led to speculation over possible alternatives, although Aston Martin’s reported exploration of other engine options has not translated into any confirmed change.
For now, Aston Martin continues to back Honda and the current technical programme. But after Fernando Alonso raised concerns in both Baku and Singapore, the Japanese manufacturer’s progress will remain one of the most closely watched elements of the team’s push towards 2027.
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