Honda making progress but vibration issues linger ahead of Suzuka

The homecoming for Honda at this week’s Japanese Grand Prix should be a celebration, but instead, it feels like another high-stakes rescue mission.

After a catastrophic start to 2026 that has left Aston Martin anchored to the bottom of the standings, the pressure is reaching a boiling point.

The AMR26 has yet to see a checkered flag, crippled by a power unit that isn't just underpowered – it is effectively trying to shake itself to pieces.

While the "magic" Lance Stroll hoped for hasn't quite materialized, there are flickering signs of life from the Sakura-based engineers.

Progress amidst the shakes

In the frantic two-week gap since China, Honda has managed to dial down the "extreme" vibrations that have been detonating their battery systems.

However, in a move that will do little to calm the nerves of Fernando Alonso, the manufacturer admits they are still hunting the ghost in the machine.

“In China, we made some progress in terms of battery reliability thanks to a reduction in the vibration affecting the systems, but we must find more solutions to establish the cause of the vibrations affecting the drivers,” Honda trackside general manager Shintaro Orihara revealed.

The admission is a chilling one: they have treated the symptom, but the disease remains a mystery.

This technical fragility comes at a time of immense internal upheaval, with reports that Andy Cowell – who is currently still Aston’s chief strategy officer – as been embedded in Japan to help solve these very woes.

A brutal test at Suzuka

Suzuka is legendary for its unforgiving nature, and for a car struggling with energy recovery and deployment, it could be a house of horrors. Orihara remains candid about the uphill battle facing the team.

“We have also focused our efforts in the gap between China and Japan to continue to improve our reliability, but still our performance is not where we want it to be, especially regarding energy management," he explained.

• Read also: Tough love from Coulthard: Aston drivers should endure the pain

"Suzuka Circuit is a tough track for this, so we have been using the learnings from Australia and China to prepare better for the Japanese Grand Prix."

“We are not at the level where we wanted to be going into this weekend, but we will keep working hard to maximise our package.

“We are looking forward to seeing the home crowd and the Honda fans. I want them to see that we have made some progress since Bahrain.”

Progress has begun – but until the mystery behind the Honda engine’s destructive vibrations is solved, the danger hasn’t gone anywhere.

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