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Honda chief engineer Shintaro Orihara has confirmed that Aston Martin will introduce a heavily revised B-spec power unit at the Dutch Grand Prix, targeting what he describes as a significant performance improvement. The Japanese manufacturer has made changes across multiple areas of the combustion process, lubrication system and internal components. For a team that has struggled through the opening half of the season, the timing could hardly be more critical.
Aston Martin already revealed a 16-part upgrade package at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where the AMR26 showed encouraging signs of competitiveness. During a filming day at the Hungaroring immediately after that race, Honda tested the new power unit in the car for the first time. Zandvoort will mark its competitive debut, arriving at a point where Aston Martin badly needs to reverse a slide down the midfield order.
Combustion and friction in focus
Orihara told PlanetF1 that Honda concentrated on accelerating the combustion process inside the engine. "We have focused on improving the performance of the power unit. We wanted to make the combustion faster, among other things. To achieve this, we modified the pre-chamber and also changed the shape of the pistons. In addition, we have altered the lubrication system to reduce friction. We had quite a long list of improvements," he said.
Honda has declined to quantify the power gains. Earlier speculation suggested the upgrade could deliver as much as 50 horsepower, a figure Orihara dismissed as unrealistic. "I would love to achieve that number, but 50 horsepower is a lot. I cannot disclose the exact power gain, but my feeling is that is not the real number," he said. That suggests something more modest, though still meaningful in a sport where tenths are separated by single-digit horsepower differences.
Partnership under pressure
Honda insists it has met its internal targets for the B-spec unit, which matters more than the headline figure. The upgrade arrives at a moment when Aston Martin's championship ambitions have been exposed as premature. After a difficult first half of the season, the team has slipped backwards relative to rivals who have brought their own development. The combination of the AMR26 chassis updates and the new Honda power unit represents the team's best chance to recover ground before the final stretch of the calendar.
Orihara also noted that the partnership between Aston Martin and Honda has deepened through adversity. "We have further developed our relationship, both at the track and in the factory. Our collaboration was good from the start, but even during the difficult moments, we got to know each other better. As a result, we are now in a much better place," he said. That suggests the early teething troubles of the partnership, which began this season, have been worked through under competitive pressure.
Zandvoort will serve as the first real test of whether Honda's internal combustion work translates into lap time. The Dutch Grand Prix will reveal whether the upgrade delivers the step Aston Martin needs, or whether the team faces a longer road back to competitiveness.
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