It's the first Grands Prix of the Formula 1 season and it's entirely possible that constructor Aston Martin may not participate due to continued electric battery issues and an engine that vibrates the car so much that team principal Adrian Newey stated that team drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll could suffer permanent nerve damage.

Stroll didn't even participate in Free Practice 3 and Qualifying, due to what was announced as an "(Internal Combustion Engine) issue." He will start back of grid, if at all. Alonso will start 17th on grid, managing to at least post a qualifying lap in Q1.

The problem is exacerbated by Honda, which supplies the power unit for Aston Martin. Through testing ahead of the season in Barcelona and Bahrain, there were failures with the electric batteries, which approximate to 50 percent of all power-unit output in 2026. Now, they're down to their last two batteries — the ones currently in the cars — and no backups on the way. Honda, whose units are only with Aston Martin this year, can't even supply from another team.

My take: This is a bad look for Honda. Newey is well respected and the issue seems to be based in Japan, despite the best efforts of Aston Martin engineers to mitigate the severe vibration issue. Quite a mess, which could dog the constructor the entire championship.