Marc Surer has questioned Adrian Newey’s decision making at Aston Martin after the team’s troubled start to the 2026 Formula 1 season with Honda power.
The former Brabham driver told Total Motorsport he was surprised that Newey only visited Honda’s facilities in November 2025, despite the Japanese manufacturer’s power unit being central to Aston Martin’s future.
Honda announced its works partnership with Aston Martin in May 2023, but returned to Formula 1 in 2026 facing major challenges. Much of the engineering knowledge from its previous title winning spell with Red Bull remained tied to the powertrains operation in Milton Keynes, leaving Honda to rebuild with a largely different group.
By the time Newey and team owner Lawrence Stroll met Honda in November, there were already concerns over the performance level of the new power unit. Those fears were followed by reliability problems and serious vibration issues, leaving Aston Martin unable to build momentum through the opening phase of the season.
The team finally scored its first point of 2026 at the Monaco GP, where Fernando Alonso was promoted to 10th after Sergio Perez received a post race penalty. But that has done little to hide the scale of the problems facing Aston Martin and Honda.
Surer questions Newey’s Honda timing
For Surer, the concern is not simply that Honda has struggled. It is that Aston Martin appear to have discovered the depth of the issues too late.
More from the Singapore GP
Catch up with Total Motorsport's latest Singapore GP coverage, including Max Verstappen's victory at Marina Bay, Ferrari's costly strategy gamble, the full race classification, and the updated 2026 Formula 1 Drivers' and Constructors' Championship standings.
“I was surprised [by] what happened when I heard Newey saying he went in November to see Honda,” said Surer exclusively to Total-Motorsport.com. “I mean, what [kind of] a technical director is that, not taking care of these things before, when he started his job.
“That would be the first thing to do to talk to these people and and and see what’s going on, and he knows the Honda people for so many years. So something went completely wrong there, and now they have to repair the whole thing.
“As I hear, at least, they found a reason for the vibration, or they could have found something against it. This would help because if they start driving correctly, they can improve the car. We will see a big development during the season, I’m sure, because Adrian Newey is good.
“But maybe [he’s] not the quickest designer, if you look back with Red Bull, it took quite a long time until he started winning, but when he did, he did it impressively. So I think maybe he needs more time than we expected with Aston Martin, but he will come up.”
That assessment captures the uncomfortable position Aston Martin now face. Newey remains one of the most successful designers in F1 history, but his first phase as team principal has been dominated by damage limitation rather than the technical revival the team hoped for.
Aston Martin Honda project still searching for answers
The scale of the setback has been severe. During pre-season testing, Aston Martin discovered that the Honda power unit was not only lacking performance but also suffering reliability problems and vibrations strong enough to raise concerns inside the team.
Those issues limited running, delayed understanding of the chassis and left Alonso and Lance Stroll with little chance to show the true level of the car in the early races.
Monaco did at least bring a small reward. Alonso was classified 10th after Perez’s penalty, earning Aston Martin’s first point of the season, while Stroll retired after contact with the barriers. But one point from the first part of the campaign remains far below what the team expected after investing in Newey, a works Honda deal and major infrastructure.
The lack of a senior Aston Martin management figure stationed close to Honda’s Sakura base has also come under scrutiny. With a new works engine partnership, tighter oversight may have helped the team understand the depth of the problems earlier.
Instead, Aston Martin are trying to repair the situation during the season while rivals continue to develop from stronger foundations.
Aston Martin need stronger Alonso support
Despite the weakness of the Aston Martin Honda package, Surer remains convinced Alonso is still good enough to continue in Formula 1.
The double world champion has continued to outperform Stroll across the opening phase of the season and delivered the team’s first point in Monaco, even if that result came after post race penalties reshaped the classification.
But Alonso is in the later years of his career, and Aston Martin also face a long term driver question. If the Spaniard eventually leaves, the team must decide whether Stroll is capable of leading the project or whether they need to look elsewhere.
“Well, so far, I mean, he beats his teammate anyway, even with the shitty car,” said Surer when asked about whether Alonso should remain in F1. “So I think he would be good enough to continue, but they need another driver beside him, this is, this for sure.
“Because if you buy the most expensive designer in this world, and you have a Honda engine which has won the world championship four times, and then you have a driver which is sometimes driving for fun. He’s [Stroll] good in the rain, especially, I always say, if it rains, watch out, but sorry, for a professional team, they need a top driver besides Alonso.
“At least, put the talent in, which has a future [and] who wants to prove themselves.”
That is a sharp verdict on Stroll, whose performances remain under scrutiny despite flashes of pace in difficult conditions. Surer made clear that he believes Aston Martin need either a top level driver alongside Alonso or a younger talent with a clear future.
Aston Martin face major driver and engine questions
The driver market adds another layer to Aston Martin’s problems. Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen were both linked with the team during 2025, but the current state of the project makes such a move difficult to imagine in the short term.
If Aston Martin cannot offer a competitive car until 2027 or 2028, convincing a title level driver to join will be a major challenge. That could push the team towards a developing option such as Jak Crawford, the American reserve driver who took part in opening practice at Suzuka.
Whichever way Aston Martin go, the message from Surer is clear. A team investing heavily in Newey, a works Honda engine and world class infrastructure cannot afford uncertainty across both the power unit and driver line up.
The potential remains significant. Newey has built winning projects before, Honda powered Red Bull to multiple championships, and Alonso continues to perform at an elite level when the machinery allows.
For now, though, Aston Martin’s 2026 season remains a recovery mission. Monaco brought the team’s first point, but the engine has still failed to deliver consistently, the car has rarely finished races cleanly, and Newey’s early handling of the Honda relationship is already being questioned.
