Honda states that its strained relationship with Aston is "improving steadily."

      Honda reports that its relationship with Aston Martin, which was perceived as troubled early in 2026, has significantly improved as both parties get ready to integrate the team’s new chassis with an upgraded power unit at Zandvoort.

      The partnership faced a rocky start in 2026, marked by serious engine vibrations, reliability issues, and reported friction over how the Adrian Newey-led team and Honda should tackle the car's deficiencies. However, Aston Martin made substantial progress in Hungary, gaining over a second per lap with its extensively revised ‘B’ specification, where Fernando Alonso advanced to Q2 for the first time this season and both cars improved their positions during the race.

      "Our partnership with Aston Martin is continuously improving," stated Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe at the Super GT round in Fuji. "I believe we are now fully aligned on enhancing the overall performance of each car, setting our goals, and determining the necessary tests to achieve them," he commented to as-web.jp.

      Honda’s new specification engine underwent its initial track testing during Aston Martin’s filming day at the Hungaroring last week and is set to debut in a race after the summer break.

      "For the upcoming race in Zandvoort, the updates will primarily concentrate on the power unit, but whenever we make changes, we always develop multiple aspects simultaneously," Watanabe noted. "They go hand in hand. Therefore, we aim to secure a positive outcome for our next race in Zandvoort."

      Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa concurs that the technical advancements have been complemented by a much healthier collaborative relationship. "Our communication has greatly improved," he told Automoto.it.

      "The relationship with Honda has dramatically enhanced at all levels. We began without really knowing the people or their work methods, and a new technical regulation posed an additional challenge. The absence of customer teams did not help in this scenario. You need familiarity to collaborate effectively."

      De la Rosa remarked that the initial reliability issues ultimately compelled both organizations to work together more efficiently. "We are very satisfied with how we navigated complex situations as a team, particularly concerning reliability issues. The difficulties faced in Bahrain and the inability to finish the early races were challenging, but we remained united in seeking solutions."

      He also mentioned that Hungary’s successful chassis introduction indicated that Aston Martin’s simulation and correlation challenges are being addressed. "It demonstrates that our simulation tools are effective and that our correlation with the wind tunnel and CFD is strong. This was not the case previously, instilling confidence in our tools for future developments."

      However, De la Rosa refrained from predicting the extent of the Honda upgrade's performance, with expectations reportedly ranging from a substantial 30-50 horsepower. "We have our hopes, but we haven’t tested it in the simulator yet," he said. "It’s wise to be cautious before making any predictions."