Honda declare upgrade 'roadmap' for big Aston Martin F1 boost

Honda has explained that it is targeting two big F1 upgrades for the 2027 season to bring a major boost to Aston Martin. 

The new alliance has struggled with performance and reliability in 2026, with issues including a lack of power, severe vibrations, turbo lag, and drivability concerns. 

Under the ADUO mechanism, Honda will be granted two upgrades for 2027 to allow it to try and catch up with other manufacturers; in a year, the power unit will be slightly tweaked to bring out more internal combustion power to reduce reliance on the battery systems. 

Combustion is an area the engine has also struggled with, but chief engineer Shintaro Orihara is optimistic that twin upgrades, including one mid-2027, can bring the Japanese manufacturer, and thus Aston Martin, into line with its rivals.

"We need some steps to catch up to the top competitors, and our target is to bring some steps for round one [of 2027]," Orihara told media, including RacingNews365.

"But still, at round one, we can say we wouldn't be a top competitor, so we need one more step. 

"So, as Adrian [Newey] has said, our target is to take another big step in the middle of the season, let's say maybe round eight [in Monaco]. 

"That is our roadmap, and we are working based on that roadmap. 

"Our weak point is combustion, so we're working hard to improve our combustion, especially for next year, when [ICE] performance is more important compared to this year, so that is a key point for us."

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Aston Martin back Honda

Aston Martin chief trackside officer Mike Krack was then asked about the team potentially exploring a Red Bull Powertrains deal for 2028, should it decide to split from Honda.

However, he rejected the idea.

"I can only say that we have a partner, a long-term partner, which is Honda," he said.

"Which, by the way, has done its 500th race [in Austin], and I think we will be together when we win our first race together."