Honda executive Shintaro Orihara confirms that the Japanese engine supplier is bringing a completely new version of the power unit to Zandvoort. Honda is supplying engines to Aston Martin for the first time this year, but the British team has not been able to make an impact so far. During the Dutch GP, Orihara hopes for a turnaround: “The Dutch Grand Prix is such an important milestone for Honda.”
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Aston Martin has, to put it mildly, not had a very good start to the partnership with Honda. The team is running with engines from the Japanese supplier for the first time this season, but so far that has only yielded one World Championship point during the Monaco GP. In Hungary – when Aston Martin brought the long-awaited first upgrades for the chassis – there was a slight upward trend: Fernando Alonso reached Q2 in qualifying for the first time this season.
At the Dutch GP in Zandvoort, the next upgrade is already waiting, this time for the Honda power unit. “The Dutch Grand Prix is an important milestone for Honda, as we are introducing the new version of our power unit here,” says Honda executive Shintaro Orihara in the official press release.
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Sprint weekend
Honda faces an additional challenge right away, because the Dutch GP is a sprint weekend this year. “That means we only have one free practice,” Orihara continues. “This presents an extra challenge to complete the evaluation of our new package within that limited driving time, but it is a test we are looking forward to.”
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Read everything about the Dutch GP in Zandvoort here
