Overview
- Honda confirmed late Friday that its second‑specification power unit brought to the Dutch Grand Prix met dyno and track power targets but produced unpredictable throttle and braking feel that hurt single‑lap performance.
- Aston Martin’s B‑spec chassis, introduced in Hungary and refined at Zandvoort, has materially improved race pace but drivers said the new Honda unit reversed some of the prior drivability gains.
- Honda chief engineer Shintaro Orihara traced the problem to complex interactions between the combustion engine and MGU‑K harvesting and control systems that change torque and engine‑braking behaviour.
- The team will prioritise software and control‑system fixes ahead of Monza and the Madrid rounds because Honda has largely exhausted its in‑season ADUO upgrade budget and major hardware changes look likely to wait until next season.
- If engineers cannot stabilise driveability over the next races, Aston Martin risks losing the qualifying edge needed to turn its recent chassis progress into consistent race results and stronger championship momentum.