Aston Martin receives Honda engine upgrade ahead of Hungarian Grand Prix

Honda announced a new specification for its power unit supplied to Aston Martin, aiming to solve the reliability and power deficits that have hampered the team in the early rounds of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The upgrade is scheduled for the upcoming race in the Netherlands, with the team expecting the package to be ready for the Hungarian Grand Prix, where engine performance is critical.

Honda’s chief race engineer Shintaro Orihara said the plan is to make “a fairly big leap forward” rather than incremental changes, and did not disclose the predicted horsepower gain. Aston Martin drivers expressed cautious optimism: Fernando Alonso noted that his contract decision for 2027 will consider the upgrade’s effect, while Lance Stroll and team boss Mike Krack highlighted that extracting full performance may take several sessions. The development is seen as a key step for the team’s championship aspirations in 2026.