Aston Martin already knows when it will receive the long-awaited update to its power unit in Formula 1. Honda has confirmed that the team will compete in only two more races with the current specification before the debut of a new engine at the Dutch GP.
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This change comes amid a very challenging season for the British team. After nine rounds, Aston Martin has only one point in the championship and faces performance and reliability difficulties, even with the partnership of Honda and a new factory in Silverstone.
One of the main problems at the start of the year was strong engine vibrations, which caused discomfort to Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll through the steering wheel. Although this situation has been alleviated, the team continued to face issues related to the power unit, including a Stroll retirement at the Austrian GP due to ERS failure and a double retirement in Barcelona.
In addition to the engine update, Aston Martin had already confirmed an important upgrade package for the Hungarian GP. The changes will include aerodynamic updates and weight reduction, choosing the Hungaroring as the moment to introduce a major chassis evolution, rather than small updates throughout the season.
Shintaro Orihara, Honda’s trackside general manager and chief engineer, confirmed that the debut of the new power unit is scheduled for the Dutch GP in Zandvoort, after the category’s break: “We have two more races before introducing the new engine. It is important to continue learning from this current specification, to take these energy management findings to future races, such as Monza, which also has long straights,” he said.
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Orihara highlighted that Spa-Francorchamps will represent an important challenge for manufacturers and teams. According to him, the circuit demands special attention to energy management due to the few recovery opportunities throughout the lap.
“Spa is the longest track on the 2026 calendar and one of the favorites among drivers and fans. The combination of long straights and high-speed corners makes it very challenging for engineers, both to predict throttle application and to manage energy during the lap,” he added.
The executive also recalled that weather conditions can add an extra element of unpredictability to the Belgian weekend: “At Silverstone, everything remained dry, so Spa may be the first time we have truly wet conditions in a session. In terms of weather, anything can happen here,” he concluded.
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