Honda struggling to explain Lance Stroll’s 13th DNF of the season

Honda is working to identify the root cause of recurring battery failures after Lance Stroll suffered his 13th retirement of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The Aston Martin driver was forced to retire on lap 30 while running in 18th place. Honda trackside general manager Shintaro Orihara stated that while engineers know what occurred, the underlying cause remains undetermined.

Orihara explained that finding countermeasures is critical to prevent the issue from persisting into the next season. The reliability troubles returned in recent events following an earlier phase of the campaign plagued by severe battery damage from engine vibrations. Meanwhile, teammate Fernando Alonso qualified in the top 10 but finished 12th.