Honda to introduce upgraded Aston Martin power unit at Dutch Grand Prix after Zandvoort break

Honda will introduce an upgraded power unit on Aston Martin’s Formula 1 car at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, trackside general manager and chief engineer Shintaro Orihara confirmed in the team’s Belgian Grand Prix preview.

“We have two more races before we introduce the new engine,” Orihara said. “It’s important to keep learning with this current spec, so we can take those energy deployment findings into future races — like Monza, where we also have the long straights.”

The upgrade comes under the sport’s ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) mechanism, which grants extra development rights to power unit manufacturers classified as the weakest on the grid. Honda has been formally recognised under that framework, making the Zandvoort introduction a direct product of those additional allowances.

The timing matters for Aston Martin, who have endured a difficult first half of the season. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll qualified on the back row at both Silverstone races, finishing more than one second behind the lead Cadillac and over two seconds adrift of the Q2 cut-off. Alonso’s solitary championship point this year came from a chaotic Monaco Grand Prix, where he was running 14th with eight laps remaining before the results were shuffled.

Before Zandvoort, the AMR26 faces two circuits expected to expose its current weaknesses. Orihara flagged Spa-Francorchamps as a particular challenge for energy management. “The harvesting here is quite limited, even considering the circuit length,” he said. “This puts more emphasis on getting the deployment plan right. The straights are also a demand on the power unit in general — not only for performance but also for reliability.”

Orihara also pointed to Spa’s unpredictable weather as an additional variable. “At Silverstone it remained dry, so Spa could be the first time where we have proper wet conditions in a session. In terms of the weather, anything can happen here.”

Aston Martin has openly redirected the bulk of its resources toward its 2027 car, with budget cap constraints and aerodynamic testing restrictions making a significant recovery in the current standings unlikely this season. The Zandvoort power unit upgrade represents the team’s most concrete near-term step forward on the technical front.