Honda is preparing to introduce an upgraded Formula 1 power unit for Aston Martin at the Dutch Grand Prix as the manufacturer works to address performance and energy-management weaknesses exposed during the opening half of the season.
The updated engine is expected to make its debut at Zandvoort following the summer break, after Aston Martin completes the Belgian and Hungarian Grand Prix weekends with its current specification.
Honda trackside general manager and chief engineer Shintaro Orihara said the remaining races would provide an important opportunity to gather data before the new unit is introduced.
“We have two more races before we introduce the new engine,” Orihara said.
“It’s important to keep learning with this current specification, so we can take those energy-deployment findings into future races, like Monza, where we also have the long straights.”
Energy deployment has become one of the defining technical challenges of Formula 1’s new power-unit era.
The latest regulations place far greater emphasis on electrical energy, requiring manufacturers to carefully balance harvesting, battery management and deployment throughout a lap.
Circuits with long straights, including Spa-Francorchamps and Monza, can place particular strain on those systems because drivers require sustained electrical assistance at high speed.
Orihara said the Belgian Grand Prix would provide a significant test for Honda’s engineers.
“Spa will be a test for manufacturers in terms of energy management, so we need to consider how we will deploy MGU-K power on the long straights,” he said.
“The harvesting here is quite limited, even considering the circuit length. This puts more emphasis on getting the deployment plan right.”
The upgrade is being developed under Formula 1’s Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities system, commonly referred to as ADUO.
The mechanism allows manufacturers whose power units fall below an established performance threshold to carry out additional development intended to reduce major disparities between suppliers.
Honda’s current power unit has reportedly qualified for those development allowances, clearing the way for the manufacturer to introduce performance-related changes during the season.
Aston Martin has endured a difficult opening half of the campaign, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll regularly competing towards the rear of the field.
The team’s struggles have not been limited to the power unit, however. Aerodynamic performance, overall car balance and energy deployment have all contributed to its lack of competitiveness.
The Dutch Grand Prix upgrade is therefore unlikely to transform Aston Martin’s position on its own, but it could provide improvements in acceleration, deployment consistency and efficiency.
Honda will continue using the Belgian and Hungarian rounds to understand the current specification before transferring those findings into the updated unit.
The Zandvoort introduction will also provide the manufacturer with valuable preparation before Monza, where long periods at full throttle will place an even greater emphasis on power-unit performance and reliability.
