Aston Martin started testing the updated Honda power unit on Wednesday (29) at the Hungaroring circuit in Hungary. The activity takes place during a team filming day and coincides with Fernando Alonso’s birthday, who turns 45 years old.
Read more F1: Wolff issues harsh warning and threatens to exclude driver in case of rivalry at Mercedes
Honda is working to debut this new power unit package at the Dutch GP in Zandvoort. According to Honda’s Track General Manager and Chief Engineer, Shintaro Orihara, the focus is on improving engine performance and reliability: “Our target is the Netherlands. So, we are working hard to complete our task list to bring new power to the Netherlands. That is our goal.”
“We are focusing purely on the engine. Our focus is to improve engine performance, so we are working on the combustion chamber shape and also modified the pre-chamber. And we will also change the combustion chamber shape to improve burn performance. Additionally, we are working to reduce friction by modifying the lubrication system.”
“That is what we are working on. And also, of course, to improve reliability, because if we increase performance, we need to increase reliability. We still have a fairly large list to fulfill, but we are working hard to achieve the goal by the Netherlands,” he said.
Read more F1: Norris leads F1MANIA.NET Score of the Hungarian GP. Antonelli tops annual ranking
The first result of Aston Martin’s updates appeared in Hungary, when Alonso managed to reach Q2 for the first time this year during qualifying. The Spaniard highlighted that the package brought an important change in the team’s atmosphere: “I think it was important. Definitely, it was important for everyone in the team, as you know, it has been a difficult period in both factories, having the deficit we had in terms of performance in the first half of the year. This package, obviously, did not change many positions, but it greatly changed the mood of everyone in the factory.”
“It is no longer that we are chasing something we do not know, we know exactly what we are looking for and we know exactly the targets for the next package or the targets for next year. So, that is, for me, the biggest change this weekend,” he concluded.
Read more F1: McLaren approves new rear wing and prepares debut in upcoming stages
