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Honda has confirmed that Aston Martin will introduce a new-specification power unit at the Dutch Grand Prix, with the upgraded engine set to make its race debut when Formula 1 returns from the summer break at Zandvoort.
The announcement comes after an encouraging weekend for the Silverstone-based team at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Aston Martin's latest aerodynamic upgrade package delivered its clearest signs of progress yet.
Both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll comfortably finished ahead of the two Alpine drivers, both Haas cars and the Williams pair, suggesting the team's recent developments have moved the AMR26 forward in the increasingly competitive midfield battle.
New Honda engine coming after the breakWhile Aston Martin's aerodynamic package attracted plenty of attention in Hungary, Honda confirmed another important step is just around the corner.
Trackside General Manager and Chief Engineer Shintaro Orihara revealed that the manufacturer has been using recent races to gather data before introducing an updated power unit in the Netherlands.
"In Hungary, we have been supporting the team with the power unit integration. We've also been able to collect vital data, which will help us come the next race."
He then confirmed the timing of the upgrade. Before its competitive debut, Honda will complete an important validation run during Aston Martin's filming day.
"We will now take the important step of introducing our new-spec power unit in the Netherlands. Before then, during Wednesday's filming day, we will run the new engine in the AMR26 for the first time, before the summer shutdown commences."
The filming day will allow Honda and Aston Martin to verify the integration of the revised power unit before Formula 1 resumes at Zandvoort.
Upgrades perform as expectedAlongside the power unit announcement, Aston Martin's Managing Technical Partner and Team Principal Adrian Newey expressed satisfaction with the performance of the team's latest aerodynamic package.
"It's clear we've taken a very encouraging first step forward with the update, and the progress made is a huge credit to the hard work of the entire team at Silverstone," he said.
Perhaps even more importantly for the team's long-term development, Newey revealed that the on-track results closely matched Aston Martin's simulation data.
"The other positive is that performance was in line with our data predictions, showing good correlation between our updated simulation tools and the track. This is a strong indication we are on the right development path for the short and longer term."
The improved correlation between simulation tools and real-world performance is particularly significant, as it gives engineers greater confidence that future developments will perform as expected.
Newey also confirmed that Aston Martin is far from finished developing the AMR26: "With valuable learnings gathered today, we now have a solid baseline to build on when we return from the summer break, with further updates planned for Zandvoort."
Encouraging signs before the second half of the seasonThe Hungarian Grand Prix represented Aston Martin's most competitive weekend for several races. Rather than merely racing each other, Alonso and Stroll were able to take the fight to the midfield, with Stroll eventually finishing ahead of his teammate after successfully undercutting him during the pit stop phase.
The team also opted to avoid the hard tyre entirely, choosing a more aggressive strategic approach that paid dividends and demonstrated a willingness to think differently after several difficult weekends.
With aerodynamic upgrades already producing encouraging gains, another development package planned for Zandvoort and a brand-new Honda power unit set to make its debut, Aston Martin will head into the second half of the season with renewed optimism.
The combination of improved chassis performance and fresh power unit hardware could provide another valuable step forward as the team continues building momentum under Adrian Newey's technical leadership while laying the foundations for the future of its partnership with Honda.