Aston Martin delivered a much-improved showing at the Hungarian Grand Prix with its B-spec AMR26. That was even before the new Honda engine came online post-race weekend.
Honda Racing Corporation [HRC] president Koji Watanabe believes that Aston Martin and Honda is developing a “clear shared understanding” of how to find performance. But, Watanabe cautions that the Hungarian GP result for Aston Martin-Honda was flattered by the “characteristics” of the Hungaroring.
Koji Watanabe gives latest verdict on Honda and Aston Martin
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.
The Aston Martin AMR26, sporting its 16-part upgrade, was driven into Q2 by Fernando Alonso. Come Grand Prix Sunday, Lance Stroll crossed the line P13, Alonso P14.
It was a significant improvement for the team which had become detached at the back over the proceeding rounds.
Carlos Sainz spoke of Aston Martin now having the best midfield chassis, though this was rejected by the team’s chief trackside officer Mike Krack.
Watanabe suggested that the Hungarian GP performance should be taken with a pinch of salt.
This round marked a return to racing at a chassis-dominant track, after the high-speed Silverstone and Spa visits.
“It’s partly down to the characteristics of the circuit,” Watanabe told as-web.jp of the progress seen at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Nonetheless, Watanabe points out that the Honda and Aston Martin alliance is “steadily improving,” which includes the establishment of “a clear shared understanding of how to improve overall performance” of the car as an overall package.
The next stage in this recovery mission gives Honda its chance to shine. The upgraded Honda power unit will make its competitive debut at the Dutch Grand Prix.
The revised Honda engine and AMR26 combined for the first time in a Hungaroring filming day, following the Hungarian GP.
While the Dutch GP upgrades will “centre on the power unit,” Watanabe stressed that “when making changes, we never develop just one aspect in isolation – the two are always developed in tandem.”
Aston Martin team principal and design chief Adrian Newey has already confirmed that further revisions to the AMR26 will be made at Zandvoort, alongside the arrival of Honda’s new PU.
“In that sense, we are determined to deliver solid results ahead of the upcoming race at Zandvoort,” Watanabe concluded.
More on Aston Martin from PlanetF1.com
Aston Martin starts work on new AMR27 as Newey identifies ‘key’ F1 2027 rule change
Aston Martin B-spec data ‘exclusive’ emerges after Sainz theory rejected
Shintaro Orihara, Honda’s trackside general manager and chief engineer, confirmed to PlanetF1.com and others that the manufacturer is targeting a “reasonably big step” forward with this revised engine.
Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.
You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!
Continue reading: Honda makes Mercedes and Red Bull admission in new engine ‘target’
Originally published by Planet F1 —
Read Original Article