Honda completed by far the fewest test kilometers of all engine manufacturers in the first week in Bahrain – in Japan, they know they have some catching up to do
Honda chief engineer Shintaro Orihara emphasizes that the first week of testing ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season in Bahrain was “very valuable.” However, the fact remains that the Japanese manufacturer had the worst test results of all five engine manufacturers in the field.
In the lap table, Aston Martin, the only team with a Honda engine in the rear, finished last with only 206 laps. The two Red Bull teams averaged 335 laps, Audi 354, the four Mercedes-powered teams 361, and the three Ferrari teams 377.
While the other four engine manufacturers averaged a fairly similar number of kilometers, Honda fell significantly behind. In terms of individual figures, the two Mercedes teams, McLaren and Williams, came out on top with 422 laps each.
Aston Martin was also the slowest team in the first week in Bahrain. Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso occupy 21st and 22nd place in the combined times list for all three days. Stroll’s fastest lap was almost 4.5 seconds slower than Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s best time in the Mercedes.
Orihara admits: “We certainly have some catching up to do in terms of the overall test program, but we gained a considerable amount of data and important insights last week.” He said the test was “a good opportunity to learn a lot about the powertrain package itself and its integration into the chassis.”
“Of course, we would have liked to have done more laps, but we mustn’t forget that this was our first official test with the team, so we all learned a lot from our new collaboration on the track,” said Orihara.
While all the other engine manufacturers were able to collect a lot of data during the shakedown in Barcelona, the new Aston Martin only took to the track in Spain for a little over a day. As a result, Honda went into the first official test in Bahrain already behind. “It’s clear that we still have a lot of work to do,” Orihara admits, but he also emphasizes: “We know where we can make improvements together with the team.” Among other things, the team worked on important energy management in Sakhir last week.
“We are looking forward to the next three days of testing next week and will do everything we can to make the most of it,” explains Orihara.
