Aston Martin already eyeing a 2028 Mercedes return as pressure builds on Honda

The story doesn't start at Zandvoort. Back at the Australian Grand Prix, Lawrence Stroll had already visited Mercedes' facilities in Melbourne. Wolff, for his part, was seen entering Aston Martin's motorhome in Barcelona, before doing so again in the Netherlands last weekend. None of this amounts to a contract, and neither Aston Martin, Mercedes nor Honda have confirmed any official talks. But the accumulation of these meetings, in a paddock where everything eventually gets out, has been enough to fuel a specific scenario: an Aston Martin return to Mercedes power as early as 2028, should Honda fail to close the gap by the end of the 2027 season.

A split still fresh in memory

The irony isn't lost on anyone. Aston Martin, under its various identities since Force India and then Racing Point, had run Mercedes engines since 2009. Yet the team chose to cut that tie for the 2026 regulation overhaul, convinced that an exclusive partnership with Honda, backed by the arrival of Adrian Newey, would finally give it the means to fight for the title.

Seven months into that new era, the promise is struggling to materialise. A disastrous pre-season test in Bahrain, a power unit swapped mid-weekend in Melbourne, a suspected delay on battery technology: the picture has brightened as the season went on, but Honda is still behind the competition.

Alonso, unwittingly, fuels the rumour

Nothing in Honda's official statements betrays any particular concern: Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe insists his teams are working to shorten development timelines. But Fernando Alonso's comments after Zandvoort took on a different meaning in light of these rumours. Pleased with the progress made on the chassis, the Spaniard was noticeably more guarded about the engine, pointing to a wait that keeps stretching on and a result that fell short of what he expected that weekend.

Enough to turn an almost throwaway remark into one more signal for observers already convinced Aston Martin is keeping a back door open.

Nothing guarantees Honda won't turn things around by 2028. But the simple fact that a team which walked away, lock, stock and barrel, to build its own engine project is already weighing a return two years later says a lot about the room for manoeuvre Lawrence Stroll is allowing himself to explore.

Nothing is signed, it all remains speculation for now — but in F1, speculation sometimes says as much as an official statement.