Stroll says Honda’s second upgrade made little difference

Lance Stroll says Honda’s second power-unit upgrade has made little difference, leaving the engine the biggest question mark for Aston Martin’s 2027 car. Asked whether the update had moved the needle, he replied, “Not much.” He said the team was still struggling on the engine side and had substantial work ahead.

Honda’s second Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) package was fitted to Stroll’s car at the Spanish Grand Prix. The first update, introduced at Zandvoort in August, reshaped the combustion chamber and pre-chamber and revised the lubrication system to reduce internal friction.

Stroll is more hopeful about the chassis. Confirmed at Aston Martin for 2027, he expects the AMR27 to be a clear aerodynamic step forward and says the team knows what it needs to do to add downforce. He called the power unit the big question and said Aston Martin did not yet know where it would stand at the start of 2027.

Honda has acknowledged that a late decision to return to F1 as a works supplier delayed its power-unit development by roughly two years. At the start of October, it put Yoichiro Fukao in charge of the programme in response to the shortfall.