Aston Martin splits AMR26 and Honda upgrade plan

Aston Martin will begin its 2026 recovery plan in two stages, introducing a major AMR26 chassis upgrade at the Hungarian Grand Prix for both cars before Honda delivers its only in-season power-unit update at the Dutch Grand Prix after the summer break.

The split means Aston Martin will not wait for the new engine before rolling out its revised car. Adrian Newey, speaking via Aston Martin’s website, said the team plans to “introduce our update in Hungary for both cars,” with the package retaining the same fundamental chassis and gearbox architecture while taking weight out of both. That required a new front-chassis homologation and crash test.

Newey said the front suspension is unchanged and the rear suspension has been slightly revised. Aston Martin has also developed a new nose and “substantially revised aerodynamic surfaces,” in what he described as “a big aerodynamic package coupled with significant weight reduction,” with the aim of getting “very close to the weight limit.”

The original expectation had been that Aston Martin’s biggest car step and Honda’s next engine upgrade would arrive together, with Spa-Francorchamps seen as the likely venue. Instead, the timelines have separated because Honda is still completing work on its new specification, while Aston Martin sees value in getting the reworked car on track before the break so it can establish a development baseline and start chasing points sooner.

Spa’s layout is another reason the car changes are being held back for a week. Aston Martin believes that without better engine performance it would still be exposed on the Belgian circuit’s long straights, making the tighter Hungaroring a better place to judge what the chassis overhaul has achieved.

Honda trackside general manager Shintaro Orihara has now set the Dutch Grand Prix as the target for the new power unit. He said Honda had previously referred only to “summer,” but is now aiming specifically for Zandvoort as it works to complete the remaining development items.

Orihara said the update is focused entirely on internal engine changes. Those include revisions to the combustion chamber and pre-chamber to improve combustion performance, plus lubrication-system work to reduce friction. He said Honda is also targeting gains in drivability and reliability alongside outright performance.

While Orihara called it a large change, he also made clear Honda does not expect one update to erase the deficit immediately. “There is no magic in F1,” he said, adding that the Dutch Grand Prix will be “the first step” and that performance development has to be built incrementally.

Honda has also confirmed this will be its only 2026 ADUO power-unit upgrade. Orihara said the company is focused on bringing “a reasonable step in the summer” and then pursuing “another strategy for next year” after the shutdown, rather than introducing small updates one by one.

That leaves Aston Martin’s second half of the season hinging on a phased recovery rather than one all-at-once transformation. First it will find out what the Hungary chassis package delivers, then it will measure what the new Honda engine adds in the opening race after the break.