Gulf axe offers a blend of advantages and challenges for teams in difficulty.

      "Physically, I couldn’t carry on."

      The cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races may bring some quiet relief to certain Formula 1 teams; however, Aston Martin’s Pedro de la Rosa cautions that the break in the calendar may not be the lifeline some might expect. Fernando Alonso retired from the Chinese Grand Prix due to an inability to feel his hands and feet, as the vibrations from the Honda power unit took a physical toll on him. "Physically, I couldn’t continue," stated the Spaniard. "I began to lose sensation in my hands and feet—it was an unpleasant feeling. In gyms, there were vibrating machines years ago; doing it for 10 seconds is fine, 30 seconds is manageable, but after 40 minutes, you start to lose some sensitivity—similar to what we experience."

      Honda’s trackside general manager, Shintaro Orihara, recognized the extent of the issues that still need addressing. "While there are indications of improvement concerning vibration, driver comfort remains a challenge, and this will be a significant focus for advancement leading up to the Japanese GP," he remarked. He also mentioned that the multiple retirements and non-starters on Sunday highlighted that the 2026 regulations "will not be easy," though he emphasized that this was "no excuse for our reliability or performance."

      Audi, on the other hand, is a team that will benefit from the April break. Team principal Jonathan Wheatley was straightforward about the work that lies ahead. "Mercedes and Ferrari have a competitive package. Everyone else is facing a tough period," he noted. "The April break should be beneficial for us. The winter was brief, and the last few months have been quite stressful. We need to work on the engine in the next development phase—there are still several areas we can improve."

      However, Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa warned against seeing the break as a simple respite. Speaking on DAZN, the former F1 driver pointed out that the lack of race weekends itself is a concern. "We are genuinely lacking laps and track activity," de la Rosa said. "While you’re not under public scrutiny since there’s no racing, you miss the opportunity to test solutions every weekend. The workload will be intense in Japan for Honda—but it would have been the same if we had raced. Moreover, the others will continue to progress as usual."