Honda says they’ve found what Aston Martin’s PU problem is but there’s not time enough to fix it before Suzuka.
The problem is they’re speaking in their usual indirect Japanezee manner and don’t say whether they’ve isolated the cause of the vibration, or formulated a fix for it.
Some notes:
Because of Formula One’s developmental driver rule, Jak Crawford of The Woodlands, TX (Houston), CRA - No. 35 - will drive the normally 14 car for Fernando Alonso, who is expecting his first child. Alonso was excused on paternity leave for today’s media conference and will be out for tonight’s Free Practice 1 and maybe 2 if necessary.
Max Verstappen ejected a journalist from The Guardian in today’s F1 press conference for Suzuka (Sunday 3 AM, no television in the US)
This season is rapidly turning into a Greek tragedy.
World Driving Champion Lando Norris was just told by PU supplier Mercedes that his #1 battery is Tango Uniform. He’s only started one race, there are 22 events left in the season, and he’d already down to just two batteries remaining. So he has to get 11 races from batteries that only were intended to last eight.
https://racingnews365.com/lando-norris-dealt-major-blow-after-mercedes-investigation
Lando’s teammate, Oscar Piastri, who came second in last season’s WDC, and who with teammate Lando won the World Constructors Championship, has yet to start a race.
Their team, McLaren Mercedes, last season’s champion constructor, currently sits third in the WCC with 18% as many championship points as 2026 WCC leader, Mercedes.
If you don’t see this as an unmitigated disaster unfolding before your eyes, you must be watching a different competition.