Aston Martin is having a difficult 2026 season, with the Green Team managing to score only a single point in the opening 11 races. They have only gotten themselves out of Q1 on one occasion, while only Cadillac are behind the Silverstone-based team in the constructors' championship.
However, there was room for optimism after the Hungarian GP, which marked the halfway point in the season. Aston Martin brought 16 upgrades to AMR26, and the car found performance. Fernando Alonso managed to drag his car into the second part of qualifying for the first time this season, while both he and Lance Stroll finished ahead of both Haas cars, both Williams cars, and an Alpine.
The design of the car hasn't been the only issue for Aston Martin, however. The team entered a new partnership with Honda for the 2026 season, and the engine has come up short. However, a new powertrain upgrade is coming in the next race and could help push the car further up the grid.
Honda is bringing a new upgrade for the Dutch GP
After encouraging signs in Hungary, there is still much work for Aston Martin to do. However, Honda has delivered an underpowered engine to Lawrence Stroll's team. Reports claim that the powertrain had a deficit of around 90 break horse power (bhp), costing the cars around 1.5 seconds to the best engines.
The upgraded engine should help boost an extra 35 bhp, increasing the lap time by about half a second. In a new regulation cycle where engine power and straight-line speed are key for good results, this is a major boost for Aston Martin. However, despite this expected improvement, the Honda engine will still have a deficit to the leaders.
Due to the poor start to the campaign, Aston Martin's aim is to challenge for points from this point forward. A higher points finish will secure them more prize money, essential for the following seasons. The team will hope that the Dutch Grand Prix will show how much of a step forward the team and the 'B-spec' car have made.
Aston Martin boss pleased with the progress
With minds like Adrian Newey at the team, Aston Martin would have hoped for better results so far this campaign. The car's design hasn't been up to scratch, and the Honda engine hasn't been good enough. However, with the new upgrades bolted onto the AMR26, there is now a sense of optimism at the Silverstone base.
Team boss Lawrence Stroll was happy with how the updates worked. ↗︎Speaking on the grid in Hungary, he said, "Yes, we have made a big step forward. So yes, I am very satisfied."
Hungary was the most competitive Aston Martin has been this season. However, the leaders were still able to lap them, and the cars were not close to scoring points. The cars were running in the midfield battle instead of propping up the field, so progress was evident, but the factory will be pushing for more.
The team believes Zandvoort could suit the new package better than the Hungaroring, and they also plan to bring new components to the car. Aston Martin could be a different beast after the summer break. But what do you think? Will Aston Martin be able to challenge for points regularly after the next wave of upgrades? Let us know your thoughts.
