Why Honda's New F1 Engine Comes with Fresh but Expected Driveability Issues
Fernando Alonso said Honda must refine the new power unit after driveability problems left him 22nd in sprint qualifying.
- On Friday, Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll encountered fresh driveability issues with their new Honda power unit during sprint qualifying at Zandvoort, Netherlands.
- Honda introduced its sole in-season engine upgrade for the Dutch Grand Prix, aiming to build on progress made following the Hungarian Grand Prix at the end of July.
- Alonso qualified last after locking brakes and encountering engine over-delivery under braking, while Stroll finished 19th; both grappled with a faulty SLM mode preventing rear-wing adjustment.
- "When you brake and the throttle is open, it's difficult to stop the car," Alonso reported, while Stroll confirmed the team would analyze data overnight to improve for tomorrow's sprint.
- Honda F1 project leader Shintaro Orihara warned that the new spec 2 engine would change combustion characteristics significantly, requiring extensive driveability recalibration across cornering phases.
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With Norris at the pole in Zandvoort, the Asturian was the last in the sprint and Stroll season in a short race won by Russell.
The Aston Martin Formula One team is using an upgraded Honda powertrain this weekend. Fernando Alonso fell to last place in Friday's sprint qualifying, and he blamed the upgraded powertrain as the main reason for his poor finish.
Fernando Alonso struggles with Honda's new engine driveability at Zandvoort sprint
Fernando Alonso Exposes Critical Driveability Flaws in Honda’s New F1 Engine at Zandvoort Sprint Qualifying Fernando Alonso’s struggle to control Aston Martin’s latest Honda-powered machine in sprint qualifying at Zandvoort has laid bare significant driveability issues with the Japanese manufacturer’s new V6 power unit upgrade. Both Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll, who debuted Honda’s second-spec engine at the Dutch Grand Prix, faced fresh chal…
Why Honda's new F1 engine comes with fresh but expected driveability issues
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll took the reins of an improved Honda power unit at the Dutch Grand Prix, but calibrating the new V6 has involved fresh driveability challenges - but not unexpected
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