Honda’s Engine Upgrade
Honda’s updated power unit has made its initial track appearance during an Aston Martin filming day in Hungary. This development precedes its scheduled race debut at the Dutch Grand Prix. The engine upgrade is intended to complement a significant car upgrade package that Aston Martin introduced at the recent Budapest race weekend, which included 16 new developments for the AMR26.
These chassis modifications helped Fernando Alonso achieve the team’s first Q2 appearance of the season. In the race, Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll finished in P13 and P14, respectively. Following the event, Aston Martin, along with Alpine and Audi, remained at the Hungaroring for tyre testing with Pirelli before conducting a filming day.
Team Collaboration and Future Prospects
Shintaro Orihara, Honda’s Trackside General Manager and Chief Engineer, had previously confirmed the manufacturer’s plans while reviewing their Hungarian race weekend. He noted that the team collected vital data in Hungary, which will be beneficial for the upcoming race. Orihara stated that the new-specification power unit would be introduced in the Netherlands, with its first run in the AMR26 occurring during the Wednesday filming day before the summer shutdown.
A spokesperson for Honda’s F1 operation confirmed that the new engine was indeed run on track during the filming day. Attention is now focused on further testing at Zandvoort in just over three weeks. Mike Krack, Aston Martin’s Chief Trackside Officer, explained that the team and Honda are now working more efficiently together, despite a challenging start to their relationship in early 2026.
Krack emphasised the collaborative effort to overcome difficulties, stating that both parties acknowledged the need to work hard together. He highlighted that discussions improved the relationship significantly, both within the garage and engineering office, and in the technical collaboration between Aston Martin’s factory in Silverstone and Honda’s headquarters in Sakura. Krack believes that going through such challenges leads to improvement.
The pace gain shown by Aston Martin in Hungary was reportedly in line with the team’s expectations. Krack mentioned that the main objective was to return to competitive racing, which he believes was achieved with the upgrade package. He also indicated that the next steps are crucial. Orihara concurred, stressing the importance of introducing the new power unit in Zandvoort now that the chassis is performing well, expecting it to contribute to lap time improvements.
Engine vibrations, which were a concern for Aston Martin and Honda earlier in 2026, reportedly reappeared on Friday in Hungary. However, both the team and engine supplier clarified that these were not the same issues experienced at the beginning of the season. Alonso indicated that these issues were resolved after a new engine was fitted for the remainder of the weekend from Saturday.
Alonso commented on the importance of Honda’s improvements given the chassis gains, noting that both sides of the partnership are working to address each other’s weaknesses. He stated, “We are one team, we work together.” Alonso added that Honda initially assisted with car weaknesses, and now, with chassis improvements, the team aims to support Honda. He acknowledged that there is still a considerable path ahead, but views this as an initial step for both factories to build confidence and trust in their respective work.
This collaborative effort and the introduction of the new power unit are seen as vital for the coming months, with the next significant step being the Dutch Grand Prix.
Source: formula1.com
Arjun Sharma
Sports Reporter