Hungary will continue to serve as the testing ground for Aston Martin this week. After introducing its first major upgrade package during Sunday’s race in Budapest, the Silverstone-based squad will conduct a filming day this Wednesday (29) featuring the first version of the Honda engine updated according to the ADUO rules.

The confirmation came from Honda’s trackside general manager and chief engineer, Shintaro Orihara. Honda opened the 2026 season plagued by battery vibration issues so severe that Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll could barely complete half-distance in races. Adjustments were implemented to mitigate the problem, but the power deficit still left the emerald-green cars trailing behind even newcomers Cadillac.

Now, with the concessions granted under ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities), the expectation is for Aston Martin to gain at least 0.5s in performance and compete more consistently in the midfield, according to the British broadcaster BBC.

“In Hungary, we worked closely with the team on power unit integration. We were also able to gather crucial data that will help us arrive well-prepared for the next race,” Orihara told journalists in Hungary. “Now, we take an important step by introducing the new power unit specification in the Netherlands.”

“Before that, during Wednesday’s filming day, we will run the new engine in the AMR26 for the first time ahead of the summer break,” he added.

Adrian Newey leads the design behind the AMR26 (Photo: Aston Martin)

Following the Hungarian GP, Alonso also provided feedback regarding his impressions of the “completely new” car fielded on track. “I think it was a good step forward, both in qualifying and in the race. It establishes a new baseline for the second half of the season.”

“The data correlation is positive, and the performance gains align with our expectations. We are still in the early stages with this new car. It is a completely new vehicle with a different technical concept, so there remains room for improvement regarding setup, optimization, and other areas,” he continued.

“The next race in Zandvoort — which will feature the power unit update — will be a very interesting test to see where we stand and what we can realistically fight for,” he concluded.

Formula 1 is now on its summer break. The category resumes action for the 2026 season from August 21 to 23 with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.