Newey issues telling Aston Martin and Honda relationship update

Adrian Newey is “very happy” with the progress made in the Aston Martin and Honda relationship, after a “disastrous start” for this alliance.

Newey said that such progress usually triggers an improvement in performance, as Honda readies to debut its new engine competitively at the Dutch Grand Prix. Aston Martin seemingly made a large step with its B-spec AMR26 chassis in Hungary. Honda says its new spec engine has hit the internal target.

Adrian Newey sees Aston Martin and Honda progress

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Aston Martin and Honda was a partnership which got off on the wrong foot to say the least. Reliability issues and poor pace severely tested morale.

Under Newey, Aston Martin took a different route in the F1 2026 development battle. Rather than a stream of smaller updates, the team opted to wait until a major package for the AMR26 was complete.

That came online at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Aston Martin went from comfortably last to Q2 courtesy of Fernando Alonso. Come race day, Lance Stroll secured P13, Alonso P14.

Now it is over to Honda. As F1 2026 moves on to Zandvoort, this represents a shift from a chassis-dominant track like the Hungaroring, back to one where engine power is more of a difference maker in the form of Zandvoort.

That will provide a crucial test of the new Honda power unit. It was first bolted into the B-spec AMR26 during a Hungaroring filming day.

At the Hungarian GP, Newey was asked for his thoughts on how the Aston Martin and Honda relationship has evolved.

“I think what’s really progressed is actually the word you just used: relationship,” Newey told PlanetF1.com and others.

“Out of what can only be called a disastrous start, the positive of that, because you’re always looking for positives, is that it’s brought Honda and ourselves, AMR, into a very close working relationship. We continue to develop that in all areas.

“So, I’m very happy with the progress we’re making from a relationship point of view. Normally, if relationships improve, then performance also improves.”

There were reports circulating that Honda had unlocked another 50bhp for Aston Martin with its upgraded engine.

Honda chief engineer Shinharo Orihara urged caution, though did recently confirm via Honda Racing’s TikTok that the internal target had been met with its engine upgrade.

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“I want to have that number, but that is a quite big number,” Orihara told PlanetF1.com and others, when presented with the reported 50bhp figure.

“I can’t describe the detail of power, but my feeling with that is just, no, I don’t think… not the real number.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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