Honda's upgrade did not meet expectations at Zandvoort.

      "The drivability is poor, quite poor."

      Honda's much-anticipated engine enhancement may not have achieved the progress Aston Martin was hoping for at Zandvoort, as drivability issues have now surfaced as the primary drawback. Lance Stroll was straightforward after qualifying in 19th place. "Do I notice any improvement? Not really." "Perhaps a minor advancement, but it’s insufficient. Chassis-wise, I believe we’re performing well. We made significant strides in Budapest." "The next area we genuinely need to address is drivability and power." Stroll pointed out that the main problem is the inconsistency of the power unit when braking and during downshifts. "The drivability is poor, really poor," remarked the Canadian. "It’s a gamble." "Currently, we are not getting consistent engine braking during corner entry, and we often face delayed downshifts. So, there are numerous issues." Fernando Alonso expressed a more optimistic view of Aston Martin’s overall progress, highlighting that the gap to the leaders has significantly decreased over the last two races. "In Budapest, we reached Q2, and here we were only a tenth of a second behind," he noted. "This is also the narrowest margin to the Q1 leader. Piastri was 1.3 seconds quicker than us." "Previously, we had an average deficit of 4.5 seconds to the fastest, which means we’ve improved by three seconds in two races. That's encouraging." However, Alonso concurs that the Honda package still requires substantial refinement. "Drivability is a factor in the improvements we're anticipating in lap times," stated the two-time champion. "Unfortunately, there’s not much more we can do on the track. We need to hope for significant changes in physics, software, or whatever is necessary. It must come from Japan, and this won’t happen overnight." "Starting with Monza, we’ll need to take another step, and there are aspects of the package that need optimization." Honda’s chief engineer Shintaro Orihara also acknowledged that further work is necessary. "We’ve made some crucial advancements today, but there’s still a lot left to do to instill confidence in the drivers," he stated. "That’s our main goal in the short and medium term." Aston Martin ambassador Pedro de la Rosa told DAZN that the immediate priorities are clear. "We need to enhance the drivability of the new engine, especially during braking and downshifting." He also outlined another focus for Monza and Baku. "The short-term goal is to make the car lighter and ensure it reaches the weight limit, which it currently doesn’t, similar to Williams."