‘Team principal’ Adrian Newey under scanner as F1 veteran raises questions over Aston Martin’s treatment of Honda

Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey has come out ahead of the 2026 Australian Grand Prix with harsh criticism of Honda’s power unit, detailing issues caused by vibrations and personnel at Honda’s Sakura plant. Amidst this, Formula 1 veteran Gary Anderson came out and questioned Aston Martin’s treatment of Honda.

With the relationship between Honda and Aston Martin off to a disastrous start after pre-season testing woes, the Silverstone-based team came out and pointed the finger at Honda, claiming the power unit was at the heart of all its problems.

In response, Honda detailed how Adrian Newey requested late changes to the power unit, and that the aggressive design chosen by the technical director for the AMR26 was stifling the power unit.

Amid reports of an already tense relationship between Aston Martin and Honda, Adrian Newey, ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, highlighted vibration issues with the power unit, which caused battery damage during the final Bahrain test, while also revealing how drivers are at risk of permanent nerve damage when vibration enters the cockpit.

Newey also pointed the finger at how Honda has operated with just 30% of original staff since handing over the power units to Red Bull, with several senior members joining Red Bull PowerTrains or being reassigned within Honda to other projects.

Veteran Formula 1 engineer Gary Anderson came out after the Australian Grand Prix and put Adrian Newey under the scanner, questioning Aston Martin’s treatment of Honda and their harsh criticism.

“I was surprised not only by how bad things were, but also by how Adrian Newey dealt with these issues publicly. Newey’s statement that Honda was not clear about the state of the Formula 1 division when the engine deal was made will please no one at Sakura.” (via Race)

Gary Anderson explained how Adrian Newey, given that he holds both the roles of team manager and technical director, must be careful with his words, as he said,

“With his dual role, Newey needs to be very careful and open about what hat he wears when he does these media sessions. His questions and answers will and should be very different. Team managers can get into politics in any situation, but as a technical director it has to be all about engineering and facts.”

Anderson suggested that only time will tell whether Newey’s approach of publicly calling out Honda is the best one to get the best out of the Japanese manufacturer.

Will Buxton claims Adrian Newey’s criticism of the power unit may have “destroyed” the relationship between Aston Martin and Honda

When the Turbo Hybrid era was introduced, McLaren partnered with Honda and the Japanese manufacturer returned to the sport, the Woking-based team threw the power unit manufacturer under the bus amid poor performance. Fernando Alonso also came out and publicly called the engine the “GP2 engine”.

Former F1TV host Will Buxton came out and highlighted how the relationship between McLaren and Honda was ruined, with Red Bull reaping the rewards. Claiming Aston Martin may also have damaged the relationship with harsh comments, Buxton said.

“When you start your first weekend by throwing Honda under the bus, and in Japanese culture, pride and loyalty are so key. I feel like they probably completely destroyed that relationship before the first weekend was even over. And that, more than anything else… it’s a disaster from every conceivable perspective.”

Honda brought in a temporary fix to prevent vibrations from damaging the battery, and a permanent fix is ​​still in the works.