The debut of Honda's upgraded Formula 1 engine spec 2 proved to be a disappointment in sprint qualifying at the Dutch Grand Prix on paper. Aston Martin duo Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso failed to make it out of SQ1, a step back from their promising Hungaroring weekend.
Stroll ended up 19th and six-tenths off making it to SQ2, struggling for answers about where he could have found more time. Alonso, who was 22nd and last after a big lock-up into Turn 1, suggested on team radio that Honda's early-season vibration bugbear had returned: “Huge vibrations on the straights. And not from the tyres, eh....”
However, it soon emerged that the issue was not a power unit problem. Alonso's rear wing active aero had failed, leaving the wing closed in corner mode on straights, increasing drag and reducing top speed. This also drained his battery pack quicker. The result was a 20 km/h speed deficit compared to his best lap in practice into Turn 1, and he was 2.3 seconds slower by the apex. A further two tenths were lost between Turns 10 and 11, where he was 15 km/h slower.
If we remove 2.5 seconds from Alonso's lap time, he would have ended up in the mid-1m13.5s, which would have been easily enough to get through to SQ2. However, team-mate Stroll, who did not have the same issue, also failed to progress, indicating deeper problems.
The SM issue also caused the car to run lower, likely contributing to the vibrations Alonso felt. Sources suggest there were no vibration issues during practice for Honda.
While the reality of Honda's showing did not match the lap times delivered, it would be wrong to suggest that without the SM problem it would have been mission accomplished. Both practice and qualifying highlighted that Honda still has a mountain to climb regarding power unit drivability. The 2026 regulations demand perfect performance under acceleration and braking, with corner entry critical for energy harvesting. Honda has not yet sorted this with its spec 2 engine.
Alonso also talked about the car pushing on as he slowed for turns, a symptom of the drivability issue. With the sprint race and main event still to come at Zandvoort, Aston Martin and Honda must quickly find solutions to recover performance and remain competitive in the midfield.
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