2026 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team

[FNTC]

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/audi ... te-effect/

The Race understands that, while this "immediate" exit pertains the F1 team, he will remain contracted on an undisclosed period of gardening leave before he's free to make his next move.

[FNTC]

[diffuser]

If you want to do business with Honda in racing, they'll take you to the top of the racing world and then............be prepared..........and, be patient for the long climb back to the top.

Aston Martin needs to be patient, anyone does when you work with Honda in racing. If Aston Martin sticks it out with Honda, they can dominate but, how long will it take Honda ? The Aston Martin chassis is ready I think.

You don't need to be patient if you're organised, AM F1 wasn't organized, now that have to be patient externally but cracking the whip internally between them. Although I think at this point Honda is motivated.

[diffuser]

Like I said. The TP role at AM F1 GP isn't a traditional TP role. That means that Krack will take the media part when AN or C aren't there.

[SealTheRealDeal]

Audi issue statement on Jonathan Wheatley rumours amid Aston Martin interest - Thomas Maher

But paddock whispers have suggested to this publication that Wheatley has indicated a desire to leave his role with Audi in order to pursue the opportunity with Aston Martin.

It’s also emerged that the working relationship between Wheatley and Binotto has been fraught with friction, with one senior source commenting on the “strained dynamic” between the two top leaders at Audi.

Certainly, it’s been suggested that Audi CEO Gernot Dollner is said to be furious with Wheatley, whose interest in switching teams was very much under the radar.

Interesting bit about the animosity. If Wheatley's been fired can Audi still impose a gardening period on him?

[AR3-GP]

Interesting bit about the animosity. If Wheatley's been fired can Audi still impose a gardening period on him?

It's been stated that he left for personal reasons. So it will depend on whether that was a PR statement or not.

[Honda Porsche fan]

How is Jonathan Wheatley's style on handling P.R./media and working behind the scenes with the team vs Christian Horner's ?

I personally hope that Adrian Newey focusses 100% on development of the aero/chassis and Andy Cowell is in Japan working with Honda.

[Honda Porsche fan]

Posted on another thread...

This is a completely new relationship for both Aston Martin and Honda. It will take some time. Hopefully throughout the 2026 season there will be very substantial updates.

[Badger]

Honda was focused on winning the driver's title with Max and Red Bull as they stated that 2025 they wanted to go all in to win the title with their last year at Red Bull. They weren't putting 100% attention and focus to their 2026 engine the way Mercedes and Ferrari were. Mercedes and Ferrari had more time to develop their 2026 car as McLaren and Red Bull fought it out to the end to the last race.

This happens to teams in F1 when they are trying to win the title, they often times put so much focus on developing their car to the final race they neglect next year's car. Flavio Briatore said this is what happened to Renault Benetton after the 2005 season when they won the title, the car was horrible for 2006.

Honda stopped developing the previous engine in 2022 when they dismantled the program. And the 2006 Renault won the championship, truly a "horrible" car.

I think opinions should have some basis in facts and not just be completely fantastical versions of reality.

[Honda Porsche fan]

Honda was focused on winning the driver's title with Max and Red Bull as they stated that 2025 they wanted to go all in to win the title with their last year at Red Bull. They weren't putting 100% attention and focus to their 2026 engine the way Mercedes and Ferrari were. Mercedes and Ferrari had more time to develop their 2026 car as McLaren and Red Bull fought it out to the end to the last race.

This happens to teams in F1 when they are trying to win the title, they often times put so much focus on developing their car to the final race they neglect next year's car. Flavio Briatore said this is what happened to Renault Benetton after the 2005 season when they won the title, the car was horrible for 2006.

Honda stopped developing the previous engine in 2022 when they dismantled the program. Oh and the 2006 Renault won the championship, truly a "horrible" car.

I think opinions should have some basis in facts and not just be completely fantastical versions of reality.

I corrected my statement above, it was the 2007 Renault car that was very bad.

[Badger]

Honda was focused on winning the driver's title with Max and Red Bull as they stated that 2025 they wanted to go all in to win the title with their last year at Red Bull. They weren't putting 100% attention and focus to their 2026 engine the way Mercedes and Ferrari were. Mercedes and Ferrari had more time to develop their 2026 car as McLaren and Red Bull fought it out to the end to the last race.

This happens to teams in F1 when they are trying to win the title, they often times put so much focus on developing their car to the final race they neglect next year's car. Flavio Briatore said this is what happened to Renault Benetton after the 2005 season when they won the title, the car was horrible for 2006.

Honda stopped developing the previous engine in 2022 when they dismantled the program. Oh and the 2006 Renault won the championship, truly a "horrible" car.

I think opinions should have some basis in facts and not just be completely fantastical versions of reality.

I corrected my statement above, it was the 2007 Renault car that was very bad.

Why did Honda say they were going all out to try to make sure Max and Red Bull won the championship for 2025 ?

So, Red Bull is dominating and using an older engine for 2023, 2024 and almost won the title in 2025 and Max dominates the last race of the 2025 season with an old 2022 engine that has no development since 2022 over Mercedes and Ferrari ? When did Mercedes and Ferrari stop developing their engines to focus solely on their 2026 engine ?

What engines was Mercedes and Ferrari using for 2023, 2024 and 2025 and when did they start their development for their 2026 engines ?

Engines were frozen from 2022 until 2025, everyone used the same engine for that time period with only minor modifications for reliability (if deemed necessary). Honda dismantled its development team for that project in 2022 so even if they wanted to keep developing they would not have been able to. There was absolutely no focus on winning in 2025 from a development perspective, it was completely out of their hands at that stage.

[f1isgood]

Honda was focused on winning the driver's title with Max and Red Bull as they stated that 2025 they wanted to go all in to win the title with their last year at Red Bull. They weren't putting 100% attention and focus to their 2026 engine the way Mercedes and Ferrari were. Mercedes and Ferrari had more time to develop their 2026 car as McLaren and Red Bull fought it out to the end to the last race.

This happens to teams in F1 when they are trying to win the title, they often times put so much focus on developing their car to the final race they neglect next year's car. Flavio Briatore said this is what happened to Renault Benetton after the 2005 season when they won the title, the car was horrible for 2006.

Honda stopped developing the previous engine in 2022 when they dismantled the program. Oh and the 2006 Renault won the championship, truly a "horrible" car.

I think opinions should have some basis in facts and not just be completely fantastical versions of reality.

I corrected my statement above, it was the 2007 Renault car that was very bad.

Why did Honda say they were going all out to try to make sure Max and Red Bull won the championship for 2025 ?

So, Red Bull is dominating and using an older engine for 2023, 2024 and almost won the title in 2025 and Max dominates the last race of the 2025 season with an old 2022 engine that has no development since 2022 over Mercedes and Ferrari ? When did Mercedes and Ferrari stop developing their engines to focus solely on their 2026 engine ?

What engines was Mercedes and Ferrari using for 2023, 2024 and 2025 and when did they start their development for their 2026 engines ?

Engines were frozen from 2022 to 2025, so, we have to take teams and engine manufacturers at their own word and no cheating, only "reliability" improvements and no violations of cost cap (Red Bull) ?

Well, that means the 2021 Honda engine was one heck of an engineering masterpiece. So, I believe Honda can do it again, Aston Martin will need some patience.

Honda was a pretty poor partner for Red Bull in the end. They only made a good engine in 2021. Their ERS advantage vanished slowly last regulations as Ferrari and Mercedes were just better than them. The engine also never finished a year on the allocated pool of four.

[Honda Porsche fan]

I have confidence and faith in both Aston Martin and Honda that this can work, there just needs to be patience and time.

[FNTC]

Pretty funny from Toto's son: https://dubz.co/c/144047

[Honda Porsche fan]

Honda stopped developing the previous engine in 2022 when they dismantled the program. Oh and the 2006 Renault won the championship, truly a "horrible" car.

I think opinions should have some basis in facts and not just be completely fantastical versions of reality.

I corrected my statement above, it was the 2007 Renault car that was very bad.

Why did Honda say they were going all out to try to make sure Max and Red Bull won the championship for 2025 ?

So, Red Bull is dominating and using an older engine for 2023, 2024 and almost won the title in 2025 and Max dominates the last race of the 2025 season with an old 2022 engine that has no development since 2022 over Mercedes and Ferrari ? When did Mercedes and Ferrari stop developing their engines to focus solely on their 2026 engine ?

What engines was Mercedes and Ferrari using for 2023, 2024 and 2025 and when did they start their development for their 2026 engines ?

Engines were frozen from 2022 to 2025, so, we have to take teams and engine manufacturers at their own word and no cheating, only "reliability" improvements and no violations of cost cap (Red Bull) ?

Well, that means the 2021 Honda engine was one heck of an engineering masterpiece. So, I believe Honda can do it again, Aston Martin will need some patience.

Honda was a pretty poor partner for Red Bull in the end. They only made a good engine in 2021. Their ERS advantage vanished slowly last regulations as Ferrari and Mercedes were just better than them. The engine also never finished a year on the allocated pool of four.

Well, they won 4 straight driver's titles and almost won 5 in 2025 with a 2021 engine and Max dominated the last race of the 2025 season.

There was a very good chance Red Bull could have won more constructor's championships if they had a stronger #2 driver. "IF" Red Bull were to have signed Carlos Sainz or a driver of similar caliber instead of who they had ?