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New Honda Engine for Aston Martin Debuts on Hungary Filming Day
Following recent chassis upgrades, Aston Martin takes the next step in their 2026 campaign by testing a crucial Honda engine upgrade during a filming day in Hungary.
By Ruben Smit - 2026-07-26T16:11:28.000Z - 2 min read
Aston Martin and Honda are taking a major step forward in developing their 2026 package. This coming Wednesday, Honda's latest Formula 1 engine destined for Aston Martin will turn its very first laps on track. The debut run will take place during a designated filming day at the Hungaroring in Hungary.
The arrival of this engine follows a suite of substantial chassis upgrades introduced by Aston Martin ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Those modifications appeared to pay immediate dividends: Fernando Alonso reached Q2 and qualified 16th, securing the team's best starting position of the season. In the race, Lance Stroll and Alonso finished 13th and 14th respectively, placing ahead of several Alpine, Haas, and Williams cars.
Mike Krack, head of Aston Martin's trackside technical operations, confirmed that the progress shown aligned with team expectations. "We wanted to get back in the fight," he said, referring to the stretch where the team was often cut off from the rest of the field. Honda's trackside manager Shintaro Orihara echoed those sentiments, confirming that the filming day provides an ideal opportunity to evaluate the new engine's integration with the chassis.
During such a filming day, the team is restricted to a distance of 200 kilometers and must use special demonstration tires. Orihara emphasized the significance of this engine update for further progress. With the chassis now functioning well, introducing the new power unit at Zandvoort is critical to finding lap time and closing the gap to rivals.
At the start of the season, the Aston Martin-Honda partnership struggled with persistent engine vibrations. Although the teams indicated the issues on Friday in Hungary were different, these vibrations resurfaced briefly. Fernando Alonso stated that following an engine swap ahead of Saturday, they were "completely resolved," suggesting the old engine may have been "at the end of its life."
Asked about the importance of Honda's improvements given the progress on the chassis side, Alonso responded with a smile: "That puts on some pressure, doesn't it?" However, he immediately highlighted the partnership's joint approach, with both parties working closely to address each other's weaknesses.
Initially, Honda sought to remedy the car's weak points; now, the chassis department is striving in turn to support Honda as much as possible. Alonso acknowledges there is still a long way to go, but hopes this step will reinforce mutual trust and confidence in each factory's work.