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By Ishaan Kapoor — 29 July 2026 — 4 min read

Honda’s Engine Debut and Aston Martin’s Upgrades

Honda has introduced its updated power unit on track for the first time during an Aston Martin filming day in Hungary. This development comes as the team prepares for the engine’s planned race debut at the Dutch Grand Prix. The new-specification power unit is intended to complement a significant car upgrade package previously introduced by Aston Martin at the recent Budapest round.

The AMR26 chassis received 16 developments, which contributed to Fernando Alonso achieving 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 to assist Pirelli with tyre testing before conducting a filming day.

Shintaro Orihara, Honda‘s Trackside General Manager and Chief Engineer, had previously confirmed the manufacturer’s plans during a review of their Hungarian Grand Prix weekend. He noted that Honda had been supporting the team with power unit integration and collecting vital data to aid in the next race. Orihara stated that the new-spec power unit would be introduced in the Netherlands, with its initial run occurring during the filming day before the summer shutdown.

On Wednesday, a spokesperson for Honda‘s F1 operation confirmed that the new engine had indeed been run on track during the filming day. Attention is now focused on further running at Zandvoort in just over three weeks.

Collaboration and Future Steps

Mike Krack, Aston Martin‘s Chief Trackside Officer, recently discussed the improved collaboration between the team and Honda. He acknowledged a challenging start to their relationship in early 2026 but emphasised that both parties worked together to overcome difficulties. Krack highlighted that discussions during difficult moments significantly improved the relationship within the garage, engineering office, and in the technical collaboration between Aston Martin‘s factory in Silverstone and Honda‘s headquarters in Sakura.

Krack described the process as tough but necessary for improvement, stressing the importance of professionalism in such situations. He expressed hope that if the team can return to being competitive soon, they can reflect on the past six months and identify positive lessons learned. The initial phase of changes for the AMR26, including substantial chassis upgrades, arrived for the Hungarian Grand Prix, aiming to improve their 2026 season performance.

Fernando Alonso reached Q2 and qualified in 16th position, a season-high for him. In the race, Lance Stroll and Alonso finished 13th and 14th, surpassing an Alpine car and both Haas and Williams cars. Orihara confirmed that the filming day at the beginning of the summer break would be used to test the engine upgrade, which Aston Martin is relying on for further progress. He noted that the filming day provides a good opportunity to assess how the new engine performs with the chassis, with teams limited to 200km of running and required to use special ‘demonstration’ tyres.

Krack confirmed that the pace gain shown in Hungary aligned with the team’s expectations, indicating that the upgrade package was effective. He emphasised the need for further steps, which Orihara confirmed included the new engine. Orihara stated that introducing the new power unit in Zandvoort is crucial, especially since the chassis is now performing well, and anticipates that the power unit will contribute to improved lap times.

Engine vibrations, which were a significant issue for Aston Martin and Honda earlier in 2026, reportedly reappeared in Hungary on Friday. However, both the team and engine supplier clarified that these were not the same issues experienced at the start of the season. Alonso mentioned that these vibrations were “fixed completely” after a new engine was installed for the remainder of the weekend from Saturday, suggesting the previous power unit might have been nearing the end of its operational life. Alonso highlighted the collaborative effort, stating, “We are one team, we work together,” and acknowledged that both sides are addressing each other’s weaknesses. He expressed hope that this marks the first step, with both factories gaining confidence and trust in their work over the coming months, leading to the new engine’s debut at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Source: formula1.com