Honda’s power unit faced significant challenges during the 2026 Mexico Grand Prix, leading to early retirements for both Aston Martin cars. The high-altitude conditions at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez put unexpected stress on the cooling systems, causing the power units to last only five laps in the race.
According to Honda’s trackside general manager Shintaro Orihara, the energy recovery system (ERS) cooling circuit was under heavier strain than anticipated. This issue affected Aston Martin’s performance throughout the weekend, including qualifying, where neither Fernando Alonso nor Lance Stroll advanced beyond Q1. The loss of the MGU-H device in the current power units also contributed to increased turbo lag in the thin air of Mexico City, compounding the difficulties.
The circuit’s altitude posed a unique challenge for the power unit’s thermal management, which Honda had identified as a demanding factor before the race. Despite showing competitive pace in practice sessions—Alonso was less than a second behind the fastest driver in FP2—the cooling problems prevented the team from translating that speed into qualifying or race results.
Fernando Alonso acknowledged the car’s potential but recognized the limitations imposed by the power unit’s durability at this particular venue. He has faced his seventh retirement of the season but remains motivated to push forward. Aston Martin’s chief trackside officer Mike Krack highlighted the ongoing challenge of maintaining team morale amid persistent reliability issues throughout the year.
The data collected from the Mexico Grand Prix weekend will be crucial for Honda’s development efforts as they aim to improve the power unit’s performance and reliability for the 2027 season. While the problems encountered were specific to the conditions in Mexico City, they underline the complexities involved in adapting power units to diverse circuits and environments within the Formula 1® calendar.
This episode serves as a reminder of the technical hurdles teams face in Formula 1®, especially when dealing with new power unit regulations and the demands of different race venues. Aston Martin and Honda will be focusing on addressing these challenges to ensure better outcomes in future races.