Honda will introduce its upgraded Formula 1 power unit during a filming day at the Hungaroring next Wednesday, ahead of the engine's race debut at the Dutch Grand Prix. The announcement was made by Shintaro Orihara, Honda's trackside general manager and chief engineer, following the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The new-spec power unit will be installed in the Aston Martin AMR26 for the first time during the filming day, which allows teams to carry out up to 200km of running. Orihara described the session as a "good opportunity to check how our new engine runs on the chassis" before the summer shutdown commences. The data gathered will be vital for Honda's engineers as they finalize the specification that will race in Zandvoort after the break.
Aston Martin has struggled for competitiveness throughout the 2026 season but showed improved pace in Budapest with its B-spec car. Honda, under pressure to deliver after the team's chassis gains, views the introduction of the upgraded power unit at Zandvoort as a crucial step. "To introduce the new power unit in Zandvoort is quite important now the chassis is working well," Orihara said. "So our power unit should bring some laptime gain."