Former F1 engineer explains why Aston Martin is headed for a tough transition from Mercedes to Honda as power unit supplier

Former F1 engineer Gary Anderson recently spoke about Aston Martin's risky decision to change their engine supplier for the 2026 F1 season. For several years now, they have worked with Mercedes and have strong ties with them. However, they will soon take engines from Honda, as the Japanese giant once again plans to enter the sport as a supplier.

Speaking on The Race F1 Tech podcast, Anderson explained how easy it is for Aston Martin to work with Mercedes simply because their factories are physically close. He said:

"The big thing that has really happened is the change of a power unit package for Aston Martin for 2026. It's never an easy thing to do. They have had a long and pretty successful relationship with Mercedes, and at the end of the day, it's a relationship that is just down the road; I think it's seven miles from Brackley to Silverstone.

"So it is not exactly far away to communicate. And that becomes quite different when you are working with somebody in Japan. So it's going to be tough."

Furthermore, he speculated that Aston Martin could have chosen Honda engines since Red Bull is doing exceptionally well with them, even though Honda is not directly involved in the RB19's development.

However, Anderson also pointed out how AphaTauri is quite slow despite using the same engine. On this, he said:

"Honda has obviously been very successful now with Red Bull, but at the minute, you would have to say that AlphaTauri are not being that successful with the Honda engine.

"Red Bull are doing a very, very good job, and Honda are tagged on the back as opposed to being the other way around."

The former F1 engineer concluded:

"So it could be a bit of an eye-opener for Aston Martin when they get the initial tests with the Honda. It's nothing bad or anything wrong with it, but I don't think it's the thing that's making Red Bull win races at this point in time."

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Lance Stroll determined to get a double podium finish with Aston Martin at his home race

Lance Stroll will be racing in his home race this weekend. The Canadian is confident that he and his teammate Fernando Alonso can push forward and end up on the podium.

Speaking at an event in New York, he said:

“Those are exactly the plans. Hopefully, get two cars on the podium. I’m extremely confident. I believe the car will be very strong around the Montreal circuit, it suits our car well… so I’m really looking forward to going home and really looking forward to a great race.”

Stroll believes that the track will suit Aston Martin's AMR23, giving them the edge over others. The Canadian GP will be held in Montreal on June 18, 2023.