Aston Martin face a crisis heading into Honda's home race in Japan as vibrations from their power unit threaten both performance and driver safety. Neither Fernando Alonso nor Lance Stroll has finished a race this season, with the team battling Cadillac to avoid being the slowest in qualifying. The issues stem from 2026's new power unit regulations, which have created unprecedented unreliability.

Honda's trackside general manager Shintaro Orihara confirmed the vibrations remain a major concern despite improvements to the systems side. The problem has been so severe that Alonso was seen taking his hands off the steering wheel during the China GP, complaining of losing feeling in his hands and feet after just 32 laps. Honda has been testing engines at their Sakura base to understand the root cause.

With only one team using their engines, Honda lacks the data advantage that other manufacturers enjoy. The situation mirrors Honda's troubled partnership with McLaren from 2015-2017, though improvements eventually came when they joined Red Bull in 2019. Adrian Newey has warned of potential nerve damage to drivers, while team owner Lawrence Stroll insists their unconventional management structure remains unchanged despite speculation about Newey's role.