F1, Sportrik Media - Honda has confirmed a battery-related problem disrupted Aston Martin’s pre-season testing programme after a major failure halted Fernando Alonso during running in Bahrain. The setback represents an early reliability concern in the new works power unit partnership.
The collaboration between the Japanese manufacturer and the Silverstone-based squad has yet to contest its first grand prix under the full works arrangement, but its pre-season preparation has already faced significant challenges. After completing just 268 laps across the Barcelona shakedown and the opening Bahrain test, the team suffered another disruption during Alonso’s race simulation on Thursday.
With approximately three-and-a-half hours remaining in Alonso’s programme before handing over to Lance Stroll for the final day, the two-time world champion came to a halt at Turn 4. Alonso was seen revving the engine heavily before the car stopped on track, prompting intervention from marshals. Team personnel wore protective gloves while assisting with the recovery of the stricken car, and Alonso did not return to the circuit.
Across the entirety of testing, Alonso has completed 255 laps — a figure that highlights the limited mileage gathered compared to rivals. By contrast, Max Verstappen logged 137 laps in a single day during the second Bahrain test, underlining the disparity in data accumulation.
Honda subsequently issued an official statement clarifying the nature of the issue and the implications for the final day of testing.
“Our last run with Fernando Alonso yesterday showed a battery-related issue that impacted our test plan with the Aston Martin Formula 1 Team,” the statement read.
“Since then, we have been carrying out simulations on the test bench in HRC Sakura. Due to this and a shortage of power unit parts, we have adapted today’s run plan to be very limited and consist only of short stints.”
The confirmation indicates that diagnostic simulations are ongoing at Honda Racing Corporation’s Sakura facility in Japan, as engineers seek to identify and resolve the root cause before the season opener. The reference to limited power unit components further constrained the team’s ability to maximise track time on Friday.
Under the 2026 regulatory framework, where hybrid energy systems play a central role in overall performance and deployment strategy, battery reliability is critical. Any instability within the energy storage system can directly affect output consistency and race simulation programmes.
For Aston Martin and Honda, the final stages of testing now shift from performance refinement to ensuring baseline reliability. With limited mileage accumulated and competitive benchmarks still forming, the immediate priority will be stabilising the power unit package ahead of the opening round.
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