Aston Martin completed the first test kilometers with its new Honda power unit on Wednesday during a filming day at the Hungaroring. The initial sounds are promising. During the recent Hungarian GP, Aston Martin already launched numerous aerodynamic upgrades, allowing Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll to further mix in the midfield. The updated engine is set to make its race debut later this month at the Dutch GP in Zandvoort.
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During the filming day at the Hungaroring, Aston Martin was allowed to cover a maximum of 200 kilometers with an earlier Grand Prix specification and special demonstration tires from Pirelli. Nevertheless, the session provided important data about the updated power unit. According to various Italian media, the new Honda power unit delivers about 30 hp more compared to the first version. Additionally, the vibrations that troubled Aston Martin earlier this season have been completely resolved. The engine represents the first upgrade from Honda under the new ADUO regulation of 2026 and follows the extensive chassis upgrades introduced in Budapest.
B-spec Aston Martin car
Thanks to no fewer than sixteen upgrades to various parts of the AMR26, the team spoke of a so-called B-spec car. Fernando Alonso reached Q2 for the first time this season and qualified sixteenth. In the race, Lance Stroll and Alonso finished thirteenth and fourteenth respectively, with both Aston Martins keeping the cars of Cadillac, Haas, Williams, and one Alpine behind them. With the introduction of the new Honda engine in Zandvoort, the team hopes to take another step forward.
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Team principal and technical director Adrian Newey already emphasized in Hungary that the developments are not yet complete. “The preliminary results are promising. At the same time, it is only part of the package, so we will take more steps in Zandvoort and then in Monza and Baku,” he said during the FIA press conference. “We had very little time for research prior to the launch of the car in February. So it was really a matter of taking a step back, trying to understand the package, and then moving forward from there.”
Here is the Honda engine when running on the first straight at Hungaroring!
It looks like the engine is installed in the latest version of the AMR26☺️
Interesting👀👀 pic.twitter.com/T5AGTQYzc4
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— Aston Martin F1 Fanpage Indonesia (@amfidn) July 29, 2026
Read everything about the Dutch GP in Zandvoort here
