Glock suggests that a separation between Aston and Honda cannot be dismissed.

      "The vibrations are not the only issue."

      The potential for Aston Martin to end its partnership with Honda during the season is still a possibility, according to former F1 driver Timo Glock, as the situation between the two worsened on Saturday in Melbourne. The Sky Deutschland analyst did not hold back his criticism, stating, "This is a total disaster, a severe blow to Honda. Aston Martin and Honda have invested significantly in their collaboration, yet they can only compete to a limited extent in Australia. It’s a terrible way to start the season."

      Glock added, "Aston Martin is surely going to reevaluate their agreements since Honda might not have fulfilled certain obligations. I can certainly see them contemplating a switch to a different engine supplier. The current circumstances also entail financial losses for the team and are detrimental to the market."

      Sky Italia reporters Matteo Bobbi and Marc Gene mentioned that discussions about a mid-season engine supplier change are already occurring in the Melbourne paddock, highlighting dissatisfaction from both team owner Lawrence Stroll and Adrian Newey regarding Honda’s performance.

      This crisis has also brought up troubling questions regarding due diligence. Newey acknowledged on Friday that Aston Martin only learned in November that many of Honda’s experienced personnel had not returned after the manufacturer reorganized. Glock expressed disbelief over this. "Why did Aston Martin only discover in November that many skilled engineers had left Honda’s F1 program? How could they not have noticed this earlier? Honestly, I can’t wrap my head around it."

      Even F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali admitted he was taken aback. "I don’t want to lie," Domenicali said, smiling. "I was surprised by the situation."

      Honda Racing president Koji Watanabe, speaking to Japanese media, confirmed that the team has no choice but to continue racing with the two remaining batteries in its cars. When asked about what would happen if both batteries become unusable, his response was straightforward. "Yes," he said, acknowledging that the team would be unable to run.

      "We can't urgently transport new batteries, so we’ll work with what we have," Watanabe stated. "We will closely analyze the data and may impose limitations on usage if necessary."

      Regarding his discussion with Lawrence Stroll late Friday, Watanabe noted: "What matters most for us now is resolving the challenges ahead. Unless we address the vibration issue, we cannot proceed to the next stage of confirming performance." He also rejected the idea of pursuing performance upgrades before identifying the root cause. "If we don’t identify the source of the vibrations first, any upgrades we make will be pointless."

      On a slightly positive note, Honda chief engineer Shintaro Orihara reported that measures taken at the Sakura factory seem to be effective. "Since Lance and Fernando completed 31 laps together, we managed to collect the necessary data showing that the initial measures implemented at the HRC test bench in Sakura are performing well on the track," he explained. "Our analysis indicates there are fewer battery vibrations."

      Alonso, known for his lack of patience, admitted to feeling frustrated about the spare parts situation but remained composed in his public statements. "I drive the car. Of course, I’m disappointed not to have spares when they are only provided to one team. But that’s the situation."

      He also countered what he perceived as media exaggeration. "We are much more optimistic than the media and the surrounding discussions. Right now, we don’t see the progress we would like, but there are minor improvements."

      Ferrari’s Marc Gene, speaking to Sky Italia, was less reserved. "Aston Martin’s predicament is an unfathomable situation. It’s something you couldn’t even envision in the worst possible film."

      Former F1 driver Pedro de la Rosa, now an ambassador for Aston Martin, was more temperate but equally candid. "It’s a difficult situation, but no one should assume this will affect us throughout the entire season. There’s a reliability issue tied to the vibrations. After that, the next challenge is improving the engine and chassis performance. The vibrations are not the only difficulty; this is a race to develop. We’re just beginning, and we’re uncovering problems right before the first race, and now we’re in a tight spot."