Glock suggests that a separation between Aston and Honda is still a possibility.

      "The vibrations are not the only concern"

      The potential for Aston Martin to end its partnership with Honda during the season cannot be dismissed, according to ex-F1 driver Timo Glock, as the crisis in their collaboration worsened on Saturday in Melbourne. The Sky Deutschland analyst was critical, stating, "This is an absolute disaster, a heavy blow for Honda. Aston Martin and Honda have invested significantly in their partnership, yet they can only compete to a limited degree in Australia. What a dreadful start to the season."

      He added, "Aston Martin will definitely reevaluate the agreements, as Honda might not have met certain obligations. I can easily foresee discussions about switching to another engine supplier."

      "The current situation also poses financial risks for the team and represents a catastrophe in the market." Sky Italia reporters Matteo Bobbi and Marc Gene noted that there is already talk in the Melbourne paddock about a mid-season change of engine supplier, fueled by dissatisfaction from team owner Lawrence Stroll and Adrian Newey regarding Honda's performance.

      This crisis has also prompted troubling inquiries about due diligence. Newey admitted on Friday that Aston Martin only discovered in November that many of Honda’s skilled workers had not returned when the manufacturer reorganized. Glock found this hard to comprehend. "Why did Aston Martin only find out in November that many experienced engineers were absent from Honda's F1 program? Why didn’t Aston Martin see this earlier? Honestly, I can’t grasp it."

      Even F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali conceded he was surprised. "I don’t want to lie," Domenicali said with a smile. "I was taken aback by that situation." Honda Racing president Koji Watanabe, speaking to Japanese media, confirmed that the team has no choice but to struggle through the weekend with the two batteries left in their cars.

      When asked what would happen if both became unusable, he gave a blunt answer. "Yes," he said when queried if the team would simply be unable to race. "We can’t urgently move batteries, so we’ll do our best with what we have," Watanabe explained. "We will monitor the data closely and may impose restrictions on use if necessary."

      When asked about his conversation with Lawrence Stroll late Friday, Watanabe stated, "What is crucial for us right now is resolving the issues ahead of us. Unless we address the vibration problem, we cannot advance to the next stage of confirming performance."

      He also dismissed the notion of proceeding with performance upgrades before the root cause is identified. "Unless we first pinpoint the cause of the vibration, no matter how many upgrades we implement, it will be futile."

      There was at least one small silver lining. Honda chief engineer Shintaro Orihara indicated that measures taken at the Sakura factory seem to be effective. "Since Lance and Fernando completed 31 laps together, we were able to collect the necessary data to determine that the initial measures we tested at HRC in Sakura are functioning on the track," he remarked. "According to our analysis, battery vibrations are lessening."

      Alonso, known for his lack of patience, acknowledged his frustration with the spare parts issue but kept his public comments subdued. "I drive the car. Naturally, I’m disappointed not to have spares when they're only provided to one team. But that’s the situation."

      He also countered what he called media exaggeration. "We are much more optimistic than how the media portrays it, and what is said externally. For now, we don’t see the progress we would prefer, but there are small improvements."

      Ferrari’s Marc Gene, speaking to Sky Italia, was less restrained. "Aston Martin’s situation is unimaginable and unfathomable. It’s something that couldn’t be envisioned even in the worst fictional scenario."

      Former F1 driver Pedro de la Rosa, an Aston Martin ambassador, was more measured but equally candid. "It’s a tough situation, but no one should think this is going to persist throughout the season. There’s a reliability issue related to the vibrations. Moreover, the next challenge will be enhancing the performance of the engine and chassis. The vibrations aren’t the sole issue; this is a race for development. We’re just beginning, discovering problems right before the first race, and now we’re caught off guard."