Honda will bring upgrades to the power unit for Aston Martin for the first time after the summer break. The performance of the first engine that the Japanese engine supplier designed for the British team has been subpar all season, says Honda boss Shintaro Orihara. “That is therefore also our main improvement point,” said the boss, who also immediately reveals the goal for the upgrades.
Read more ‘Beautiful if Verstappen wins in Zandvoort and the fans can thank him there’
Aston Martin brought the first major upgrade package for the AMR26 to the recent Hungarian GP. However, the team is not standing still, and engine supplier Honda will also come with a first update for the power unit immediately after the summer break in Zandvoort. Not an unnecessary luxury, according to Honda boss Shintaro Orihara.
“The performance of our engine is absolutely subpar compared to that of other manufacturers,” Orihara does not mince words, speaking to Motorsport.com. “That is therefore the main point we need to improve now, because the gap is quite large. Without improving the performance of our combustion engine, the other upgrades won’t help either. Suppose we improve energy management, that won’t help if the engine performance is subpar.”
Read more VIDEO: Alex Albon causes hilarity with Red Bull joke: ‘Everyone is fired at this point’
‘Closing the gap to the midfield’
Honda is thus using the AUDO regulation for the first time. Under this new regulation for 2026, power unit suppliers with a large gap behind the benchmark – the Red Bull engine previously designated by the FIA – are allowed to work longer on the power unit. The goal of the upgrade for Zandvoort is also immediately clear according to Orihara: “Our goal is to close the gap to the midfield again.”
Read more Steiner doubts Valtteri Bottas’ future at Cadillac: ‘Pérez is simply better’
Read everything about the Dutch GP in Zandvoort here
