Honda warns Aston Martin won’t see big gains at Miami

summary: Honda’s trackside manager says despite progress in vibration reduction, the AMR26 power unit won’t give a noticeable boost at the Miami Grand Prix, leaving the team to focus on reliability and cooling in the hot, sprint‑format weekend.

content:

Honda’s trackside manager Shintaro Orihara warned that, despite recent static testing that trimmed vibration levels, the AMR26 and its new Honda power unit are unlikely to deliver a noticeable performance boost at Miami. Ongoing vibration‑induced reliability issues and the hot, sprint‑format weekend force the team to prioritize stability over outright speed.

Why it matters:

Aston Martin’s early‑season woes dent confidence in Honda’s 2026 power‑unit effort, jeopardise the team’s title hopes and could tilt the early‑year balance if reliability does not improve.

The details:

• Vibrations: AMR26 suffers severe drivetrain oscillations, causing power loss. Post‑Japan GP static tests in Sakura cut amplitude, but the gain is too small for on‑track impact.
• Miami challenges: The circuit mixes long full‑throttle sections with tight corners, and hot weather pushes power‑unit temps to the edge of new regulation limits.
• Sprint format: Only a single 90‑minute practice session leaves little time to fine‑tune cooling maps and energy‑deployment strategies.

What's next:

Honda says development will continue through the season, with bigger upgrades planned for the summer. Aston Martin will aim for points in Spain, using Miami as a data‑gathering stop rather than a breakthrough showcase.