Sports · Motorsport · 1 hr ago
Honda brings engine fixes to Brazil after Aston Martin double retirement
Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both retired from the Mexico Grand Prix in their Honda-powered Aston Martins after engine pressure problems.
Honda said the engine behaved abnormally during certain phases, including the formation lap, stressing the cooling circuit for its energy recovery system.
One account linked the failures to Mexico’s thin air and reduced cooling, while Honda’s trackside boss said the problem was not simply caused by traffic or ordinary car cooling demands.
The two failures appeared to be stages of the same problem, despite the cars using different engines.
Mexico’s high altitude put extra demands on the engines, and Brazil’s Interlagos circuit is also at altitude, though less extreme.
Honda has brought software, calibration and hardware measures for this weekend’s race in Brazil.
The company says it will also use what it learned in Mexico in future engine development, but the problem could still pose a risk in Brazil.
Honda has brought software, calibration and hardware countermeasures to Brazil after both Aston Martin cars retired in Mexico with power-unit problems.
Honda trackside boss Shintaro Orihara said the Mexico failures exposed a lack of engine robustness in special running conditions.
The failures involved stress on the energy recovery system’s cooling circuit and MGU-K problems, according to The Race.
Honda says Interlagos is also at high altitude, though less extreme than Mexico City, and the issue could remain a concern.
The two reports differ on the Mexico retirements’ lap count and on whether traffic contributed to the cooling problem.
- Who
- Honda and Aston Martin, whose drivers are Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
- What
- Honda brought countermeasures to Brazil after both Aston Martin cars retired in Mexico with power-unit problems.
- When
- The retirements happened at the Mexico Grand Prix the weekend before the Brazil race. The reports were published on November 4 and 5, 2026.
- Where
- The failures occurred in Mexico; Honda’s countermeasures are for the race at Interlagos in Brazil.
- Why
- Honda said special running conditions exposed a lack of engine robustness and stressed the energy recovery system’s cooling circuit.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Both Aston Martin cars retired after power-unit pressure problems.
Marca reported that Honda warned the problem could remain a concern in Brazil.
The Race reported that Honda had brought software, calibration and hardware countermeasures to Interlagos.
Honda planned to use its countermeasures at Interlagos.
- Cars involved
- Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll’s Aston Martins
- Mexico failure
- Abnormal power-unit pressure levels, according to the Aston Martin team
- Honda countermeasures
- Software, calibration and hardware
- Brazil circuit
- Interlagos, also called the José Carlos Pace circuit
- Interlagos altitude
- 760 metres above sea level, according to Marca
- Reports’ lap counts
- The Race says Stroll retired after five laps; Marca says the two cars completed 14 laps combined out of 142 possible
3 sources
What people are saying
learning point is our engine, in special circumstances, there’s some lack of robustness
Interlagos is another circuit located at high altitude. Although it is not as extreme as Mexico City, it is still a factor to take into account for the power unit
more of a general problem
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