"Back to 10 Teams" — Aston Martin’s New Honda-Powered F1 Car May Give Drivers Nerve Damage

Modern cars are being outfitted with a slew of new features. And now it seems that luxury automaker Aston Martin is touting nerve damage as a new perk in its vehicles.

Well, not for its consumer vehicles it offers to buyers with big bank accounts and a soft spot for James Bond, but rather, Formula 1 drivers who move at precarious speeds for the legendary British racing squad.

NBC News reported that automobile engineer/aerodynamicist Adrian Newey, who is one of the most venerated car designers the sport's ever seen, remarked that Aston Martin's Honda-based power units result in vibrations that can ultimately harm the hands of team drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.

Newey, who as of March 2026 is going into his first race with the Aston Martin team as its principal, highlighted the problems that stem from the car's power units. "That vibration [transferred] into the chassis ... causing a few reliability problems."

This doesn't just result in potential damage to a driver's nervous system, but the vehicle itself. Newey said the qualms culminate in "mirrors falling off the car, tail lights falling off, that sort of thing, which we are having to address."

Newey added that these woes pale in comparison to the potential health risks that such a dilemma poses to whoever is behind the wheel. "But the much more significant problem with that is that that vibration is transmitted ultimately into the driver's fingers."

Newey added, "So Fernando is of the feeling that he can't do more than 25 laps consecutively before he will permanent nerve damage into his hands. Lance is of the opinion that he can't do more than 15 laps before the threshold."

Honda unveiled its newest engine for Aston Martin's F1 team in January of 2026. ESPN called the JDM automaker's decision to do so at the start of the season "unusual in F1."

As a result of the potential deleterious effects to driver's hands, Newey stated that the Aston Martin team will exercise temperance in its driving.

"We are going to have to be very heavily restricted on how many laps we do in the race until we get on top of the source of the vibration — and to improve the vibration at source."

Regardless of the hiccups Newey chronicled with the engine, he maintains that Aston Martin's AMR26 vehicle has "tremendous potential as F1 starts a new era of regulations," according to NBC.

The news has been talked about considerably among F1 enthusiasts. The TikTok account @wearetherace uploaded a video giving an overview of the nerve damage hazards Aston Martin's driver's face. Which prompted some folks who replied to the clip to joke that Honda's design team must have a gripe with Alonso, pointing to what many have referred to as a "troubled past" with the brand from 2015-2017.

NBC adds that the news is a blow to Aston Martin's chances at having a successful F1 season, highlighting that the team was being outperformed by newcomer Cadillac, remarking that the British outfit "logged the fewest laps of all 11 teams."

While the outlook may look grim for Aston Martin fans, having someone like Newey at the helm gives them a great chance to sort out the issues and make a run for high placement in the upcoming F1 season.