Honda will introduce its upgraded RA626H power unit for Aston Martin at the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix, targeting a gain of around 20bhp. The Honda F1 engine upgrade follows a 200-kilometre shakedown during a filming day in Hungary and represents an important, if not revolutionary, step in the Japanese manufacturer’s attempt to recover from a deeply troubled start to the season.
The Zandvoort weekend is a crucial moment for Honda. Aston Martin introduced its B-spec AMR26 in Hungary and demonstrated a clear improvement in both chassis and aerodynamic performance. That progress offered an encouraging sign for the wider Aston Martin-Honda project, but it is now Honda’s turn to provide tangible evidence of a change in direction with its power unit.
Honda F1 engine upgrade uses two ADUO development tokens
Honda’s Sakura facility has been working intensively to take advantage of the development opportunities granted by the FIA through Formula 1’s ADUO system, which stands for Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities. The FIA has awarded Honda an additional development budget of up to €11 million across the current and following seasons, together with 230 extra hours of dyno testing.
Honda has consequently decided to use two development tokens on the RA626H engine that will make its competitive debut at Zandvoort.
Shintaro Orihara, Honda Racing Corporation’s Formula 1 chief, explained: “The Dutch Grand Prix represents a fundamental milestone for Honda, as this is where we introduce our new power unit. This is the result of an intense period of work carried out by HRC Sakura together with HRC UK and Aston Martin.”
Zandvoort Sprint format adds to Honda’s challenge
The upgraded power unit will make its official debut during a particularly demanding weekend. The 2026 Dutch Grand Prix Sprint schedule gives Aston Martin and Honda only one free practice session in which to assess the new package before the first competitive session.
Shintaro Orihara acknowledged the difficulty of the task: “At Zandvoort, we will be racing on a Sprint weekend, which means we will have only one free practice session available. This will be an additional challenge in completing the evaluation of our new package in such a short time, but it is a test we are looking forward to taking on.
“In Hungary, we saw a step forward with the new chassis. With the engine, we are looking forward to consolidating that progress together with the team for the rest of the season.”
Honda began the campaign disastrously, with its power unit suffering from serious vibration problems while also lacking performance and reliability. Optimism is now beginning to return, although Honda remains aware that its recovery will be long and difficult.
Honda already tested its new RA626H engine in Hungary
The upgraded engine has already completed its first track mileage. On the second day of the Pirelli tests held in Budapest immediately after the Hungarian Grand Prix, Alpine and Audi continued working on the 2027 tyres while Aston Martin used Wednesday to conduct a filming day.
Test driver Jak Crawford completed 200 kilometres in the B-spec AMR26. Although the session was officially designated for promotional filming, its principal value was the opportunity to collect data on Honda’s new power unit before its competitive debut.
The test therefore played an important role in preparing for Zandvoort. The figures recorded in Hungary appear to have fallen short of expectations, but the improvement is undeniable. Honda had hoped to extract approximately 30bhp, while the final increase is considerably lower at around 20bhp.
However, given the previous deficit to the Mercedes M17 E Performance and Red Bull Ford DM01, Honda believes it has begun a recovery phase that must now be confirmed in the Netherlands. The strength of the Mercedes power unit package has helped establish the benchmark Honda is attempting to close in on.
Lawrence Stroll expects Aston Martin to begin scoring points
Lawrence Stroll has invested heavily in the Aston Martin project, but his patience is not unlimited. As the team’s exclusive power unit partner, Honda must provide concrete evidence that it is moving in the right direction.
The immediate objective is to improve Aston Martin’s position in the Constructors’ Championship and add to the solitary point Fernando Alonso secured against the odds at the Monaco Grand Prix. The current Formula 1 standings underline the scale of the challenge, making the Dutch Grand Prix an important test of whether Aston Martin and Honda’s technical recovery has truly begun.
Leave a Reply