u/ChaithuBB766

After introducing a major package of updates to the AMR26 over the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, Aston Martin is poised to take another step in its relaunch plan: the debut of Honda's new power unit, scheduled for tomorrow's filming day.

The track debut will take place in a context limited to the now well-known 200 km permitted by the regulations and with demonstration tyres, but it will represent a fundamental step towards official use at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, the first round after the summer break.

The upgrades brought to Hungary ensured the expected time gain, on the order of a second and a half, compared to the previous AMR26 specification. An improvement that will increase further once the package is optimised and with the introduction of some new components planned for Zandvoort and in some subsequent appointments.

There is great positivity within the team, also with a view to the future, because the correlation between the virtual world and the track has found important confirmation. “Yes, we have made a big step forward. One of many to come. So yes, I'm very satisfied”, declared a positive Lawrence Stroll on the starting grid.

In Hungary, the AMR26B was on average the sixth best car in the second and third sectors, while it was practically the last in the first sector, where the contribution of the power unit is decisive. And to think that one competitor has already rated the ‘new’ Aston chassis as fifth best on the grid, which was precisely Adrian Newey's initial goal, completely disregarded once the AMR26 hit the Melbourne tarmac.

The next piece concerns the Honda PU, considered one of the elements that have most limited the potential of the AMR26 at this start to the championship. Shintaro Orihara, trackside general manager and chief engineer at Honda Racing, confirmed the program, explaining how the filming day will be used to verify the integration of the new specification with the car.

According to Honda, at this very stage of the season, any small performance increase can make a difference in the fight with the rest of the group, which is why the introduction of the new specification takes on strategic importance.

However, according to what AutoRacer has learned, the step that the Japanese engineer will take to the track will not be marginal, but should guarantee a performance increase in the order of half a second per lap, equivalent to 35 HP.

Of course, since the gap from the top is very wide in terms of power (we're talking about 90 HP), with this new specification we shouldn't think that Honda will close the gap with other engine manufacturers , including Ferrari, which among other things plans to introduce its second Power Unit specification ‘ADUO2' in Monza.

The debut of the new Honda PU will therefore not represent an immediate revolution, considering the current engine gap separating the Japanese manufacturer from its main competitors, but it will be the necessary piece to complete the first real update of the Aston Martin project. Zandvoort will receive its first concrete response: to determine whether the Silverstone team can begin considering qualifying for Q3 and start collecting points consistently by the end of the season.