Fernando Alonso finished ninth at the Dutch Grand Prix, securing Aston Martin’s best result of the 2026 Formula 1 season. Despite scoring two points at Circuit Zandvoort, Alonso issued a ‘square one’ verdict on the upgraded Honda power unit. He indicated that significant work remains to optimise its performance.
The two-time world champion highlighted persistent drivability issues with the new Honda specification engine. Alonso reported the power unit was ‘over-delivering’ under braking, which complicated car control. This made it difficult to manage the AMR26 into Zandvoort’s technical corners.
Additionally, Alonso experienced a malfunction with the Straight Line Mode (SLM) on his rear wing during sprint qualifying. This prevented its activation, further hindering his performance. He described the combination of these factors as making his laps very tricky.
The Dutch Grand Prix marked the debut of Honda’s ‘Spec 2’ power unit, which the engine supplier hoped would close the performance gap to rivals. Honda’s Trackside General Manager, Shintaro Orihara, detailed improvements focused on faster combustion and reduced friction.
Aston Martin’s 2026 season has been challenging, with the team struggling for performance in the first half of the year. Prior to Zandvoort, the team had scored only a single point across the initial eleven rounds.
A major chassis upgrade package was introduced at the Hungarian Grand Prix before the summer break. This update aimed to improve the AMR26’s competitiveness. Alonso’s P9 finish at Zandvoort was achieved through a strategic 35-lap first stint on soft tyres.
Adrian Newey, Aston Martin’s Managing Technical Partner and designer of the AMR26, acknowledged the team’s difficult season. He expressed hope that the Hungarian upgrades would mark a turning point for their performance.
Alonso’s teammate, Lance Stroll, echoed similar frustrations regarding the Honda engine. Stroll stated the upgrade was ‘not nearly enough’ and described the drivability as a ‘lottery’ due to inconsistent engine braking and rejected downshifts.
Despite the issues, Alonso noted that free practice felt encouraging and represented a step forward. He emphasised that it is still ‘very early days’ for the new power unit, which he believes is ‘immature’ with its controls.
Alonso maintains faith in both the Silverstone-based team and Honda’s operations in Sakura, Japan. He stressed the need for time to fine-tune the engine and address the identified problems.
In general, we are still not in the place we want to be in terms of drivability. The downshifts, engine braking seems a little bit random, corner by corner. So these kind of things that we still need to fine-tune. And the deficit on power, we still lose a lot on the straights.
The Spanish driver believes that with the chassis now more competitive in corners, the focus must shift to improving the power unit’s straight-line speed and overall drivability.
