Honda admits reliability has worsened at Aston
"We know what the problem was but..."
Honda has admitted its reliability problems have taken a step backwards, with Aston Martin suffering five retirements across the last three Formula 1 race weekends.
Fernando Alonso managed to finish in Brazil, but Lance Stroll retired as the team’s troubled 2026 campaign continued.
"Mid-season, our reliability was better," Honda trackside chief Shintaro Orihara told Spanish newspaper AS.
"In the last three races, we’ve had similar problems that aren’t related to mileage or the demands placed on the components, especially when it comes to batteries."
Orihara admitted Honda has still not identified the underlying cause of Stroll’s latest failure.
"We know what the problem was, but we don’t know the root cause, so we need to understand that first," said the Japanese.
The wet conditions at Interlagos helped disguise Honda’s continuing power deficit, allowing Alonso to challenge faster cars despite finishing outside the points.
"The rainy conditions hide our weaknesses in terms of engine performance and deployment," Orihara admitted.
"But handling becomes more important, and we still need to improve."
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe was also present at Interlagos, holding talks with Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll and other senior team officials.
The visit came as pressure mounts on Honda to deliver a major improvement in both performance and reliability for 2027.