Honda's latest engine performs efficiently during tests in Hungary.

      Honda's upgraded power unit successfully completed its first track run without any visible issues at the Hungaroring on Wednesday, enhancing expectations that Aston Martin's chassis advancements will soon be complemented by a significant engine upgrade. Jak Crawford drove the AMR26 during the allowable 200-kilometer filming day, utilizing the new specification set to debut in races at Zandvoort following the summer break.

      This upgrade is reportedly expected to provide around 40 additional horsepower compared to the previous model. Notably, there were no apparent indications of the severe vibration issues that troubled Aston Martin earlier in the season. Some observers questioned why Honda didn't launch the upgrade alongside Aston Martin's extensively modified chassis at the Hungarian GP, especially since the engine was already on its way to the track.

      Honda Racing Corporation chief engineer Shintaro Orihara explained that the timing was purely based on the readiness of development. "We don't purposely separate Aston Martin's upgrades or make them identical," he stated to as-web.jp. "There's no reason to delay one upgrade when the other is ready. Essentially, we release the upgrades as soon as they are prepared."

      "We're significantly behind, so we can't afford to postpone." He added that the decision to wait until the Dutch GP was due to the necessity of a major upgrade, which required additional time to accomplish.

      Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa noted that the new 'B' chassis showed promising signs during both qualifying and the race in Hungary. "We made significant progress in qualifying," the former F1 driver shared with DAZN. "I must admit I found the race even more impressive. Our race pace was better than in qualifying."

      Ultimately, they finished in 13th and 14th positions, deemed well-deserved, as the only faster car that failed to finish was Oscar Piastri's. "This is encouraging," De la Rosa remarked. He acknowledged that Aston Martin entered the weekend with several unresolved questions since the package had not undergone any representative long-run testing.

      "Good degradation and solid race pace — I think it’s promising," the Spaniard noted. "We also hadn't executed long runs with this aerodynamic package, which, being entirely new, possesses different characteristics regarding engine and brake cooling."

      "There were numerous questions — 'Will we have adequate cooling for competing in traffic?' Good reliability is essential too." He expressed satisfaction with the outcomes, highlighting that with increased downforce, the tires tend to benefit. "In the past, we've experienced high degradation, but now it seems we've made progress in this area."

      Most critically, the track performance aligned with Aston Martin’s factory forecasts. "The correlation is strong, and it's not just a positive sensation; it provides significant optimism for the future," De la Rosa concluded. "This is invaluable because it hasn't always been the case in the past. Considering the start of the season, arriving here with these upgrades is very encouraging for now and what's ahead."