Honda spills 'secret' info on fast-approaching F1 engine upgrade

Honda enters the second half of the 2026 F1 season determined to turn things around after a difficult first half. Despite scoring just one point with Aston Martin, the Japanese manufacturer has been working hard behind the scenes to improve their power unit's performance.

Honda's F1 trackside chief, Shintaro Orihara, has revealed that the B-spec version of the Honda engine, tested in Hungary, will make its debut at the Dutch Grand Prix next weekend. In an exclusive interview with Motorsport Week, Orihara disclosed some key technical details of the development.

"We focused to improve engine performance, to make combustion faster. It's kind of a secret, but I can disclose a little bit. We changed the pre-chamber to make combustion faster, and we also changed the piston shape to get good combustion," Orihara said.

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Additionally, Honda has modified the lubrication system to reduce friction. "We had quite a big list to improve engine performance," he added. This step is expected to close the power deficit that has been Honda's main weakness throughout the season.

Earlier, Honda successfully addressed the excessive vibrations experienced by Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Those vibrations had raised concerns about the risk of permanent nerve damage. Orihara explained that the issue has been eliminated, and now the focus has shifted to extracting more horsepower.

"I can't disclose the detailed number, but we have achieved our internal target. I'm confident in what the HRC Sakura factory guys achieved for the spec two engine," Orihara said. "We are excited to bring a new spec engine to the Netherlands, and we will see where we are."

The arrival of this new engine will be the center of attention when the AMR26 rolls out at Zandvoort. Aston Martin showed slight progress in the first half of the season, with a 16-piece upgrade package in Hungary that helped Alonso reach Q2 for the first time. Now all eyes are on Honda to see if they can compete at the front.