Aston Martin presented an upgrade to its Honda engine at the Dutch Grand Prix that its engineers described as a significant step in reliability and performance. Shintaro Orihara, the team's track engineering director, noted that whilst he cannot precisely quantify the reduction in the gap to its rivals, "there are positive steps" that will allow the team to improve its competitive position after eleven difficult races.
The new engine, which will not incur a penalty in the Netherlands according to Honda, was validated in a 200-kilometre filming test in Hungary where it ran without problems. Orihara indicated that the main improvement lies in the combustion part of the engine, where a "significant difference in characteristics" was achieved, thus eliminating the weakness that affected the power unit in the first half of the 2026 season.
Mike Krack, another track engineering director at Aston Martin, noted that whilst the team will probably not lead the midfield, it expects to be "well positioned and it won't be far off" in the coming races. The team also introduced aerodynamic changes to the floor and front wing based on what was learned in Hungary.
Regarding Fernando Alonso, Krack stated that Aston Martin expects his decision in the coming weeks, as the driver has indicated he will decide his future during the summer. "The objective is to continue with Fernando, and we are confident of reaching an agreement," Krack said, although he clarified that they respect the Asturian driver's right to make the decision he sees fit.
Orihara concluded by saying that the team "has achieved our internal objective in reliability and performance" with the new power unit, not ruling out possible further adjustments in the second half of the season if viable improvements are identified.
