Watch: Aston Martin debuts upgraded Honda engine at Hungaroring

Jamie Woodhouse
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Fernando Alonso driving the upgraded Aston Martin AMR26 at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso driving the upgraded Aston Martin AMR26

Hot off the heels of the Aston Martin AMR26 B-spec debuting, the upgraded Honda engine has roared into life on the track.

Footage has emerged of the Aston Martin machine, with its new Honda power unit, in action the Hungaroring following last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Aston Martin runs with new Honda engine at Hungaroring

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After a nightmare start to F1 2026, and the Aston Martin-Honda alliance, the Hungarian Grand Prix marked a turning point.

The new AMR26, with its 16-part upgrade, hit the track and instantly entered the midfield fight.

Fernando Alonso made it through to Q2. Come Grand Prix Sunday, Lance Stroll secured a P13 finish, one place up the road from Alonso.

That was just stage one. Next, it is the turn of the upgraded Honda engine.

PlanetF1.com broke the news last week that Honda’s revised engine was to debut in the back of B-spec Aston Martin at the Hungaroring. That would be as part of a filming day following the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Wednesday was the day, and social media is abuzz amid the first sighting of this upgraded Aston Martin-Honda combo in action.

Honda’s trackside general manager and chief engineer Shintaro Orihara recently confirmed that the Japanese manufacturer is targeting a “reasonably big step, rather than a small step,” in performance.

Following the Hungaroring filming day, the upgraded Honda engine is set to make its competitive debut, in the B-spec AMR26, at the Dutch Grand Prix, the first round following the summer break.

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Orihara, speaking with PlanetF1.com and others at the Hungaroring, welcomed the opportunity to put this AMR26 and Honda upgrade duo through its paces ahead of Zandvoort.

“It is a good opportunity to check the new power unit in the new chassis, by using the filming day,” he said.

“200 kilometres. That is a good opportunity to check how the new engine works in the chassis.”

Adrian Newey, Aston Martin’s team principal and design guru, also confirmed in Hungary that further chassis updates are coming at Zandvoort, and again at Monza/Baku.

Aston Martin is also joined by Audi and Alpine at the Hungaroring for a Pirelli tyre test.

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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