Newey Reveals Positive Side of Aston Martin-Honda 'Disastrous Start'

Adrian Newey, Aston Martin's technical director, has spoken about the difficult start to the partnership with Honda. Despite calling it a 'disastrous start', he sees an unexpected positive: the relationship between the two parties has grown closer.

As known, Honda officially became the engine supplier for Aston Martin starting in 2026. However, the early days of this partnership have not been smooth. Several opening rounds were painful, with performance far from expectations.

In an interview with media including RacingNews365, Newey admitted that the collaboration had a rough start. However, he stressed that the difficulties have actually had a positive effect on the relationship between the teams.

Baca JugaHakkinen Peringatkan McLaren Jangan 'Goyang Perahu' demi Verstappen

"What's really progressed is actually the word you just used, relationship," said Newey. "Out of what can only be called a disastrous start, the positive of that, because you're always looking for positives, is that it's brought Honda and ourselves, AMR, into a very close working relationship."

Aston Martin brought a major upgrade at the Hungarian Grand Prix and managed to gain significant lap time. Still, they remain several seconds behind the frontrunners.

Newey insisted that maintaining a harmonious relationship with Honda is a major consideration. He expressed confidence that performance will follow once the relationship is solid.

"We continue to develop that in all areas," he added. "So, I'm very happy with the progress we're making from a relationship point of view. Normally, if relationships improve, then performance also improves."