Honda used second F1 power-unit upgrade on Stroll’s car in Spain

Honda says it fitted its second permitted power-unit upgrade to Lance Stroll’s car in Spain, using a revised turbocharger to tackle drivability problems.

GPBeat · Newsroom01 Oct 2026, 06:45 · 1 min

Honda used its second permitted power-unit development opportunity at the Spanish Grand Prix, fitting an improved turbocharger to Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin. Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe told Autosport the change was intended to address drivability problems, including turbo lag, in the power unit introduced at the Dutch Grand Prix. He said work on the turbo had continued alongside that earlier upgrade, so the two changes arrived separately.

Autosport reports that Honda qualified for two development opportunities under Formula 1’s ADUO rules after its internal-combustion engine was measured at more than 4% below the highest-rated engine. The publication says Honda had previously indicated it would use only one.

Autosport also cites FIA component-use records showing that Stroll received a fifth turbocharger in Spain. Fernando Alonso received a fifth turbocharger in Azerbaijan, though Autosport describes it only as apparently being the upgraded version.

With both ADUO opportunities used, Watanabe said Honda would focus on getting more from its existing power unit rather than making further hardware changes this season. He said the earlier upgrade had met Honda’s targets but believed there was still performance to find.

Source context

Autosport reports Watanabe’s account and cites FIA component-use records; it describes the specification of Alonso’s Azerbaijan turbocharger as uncertain.

Claims and supporting evidence 5

Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe told Autosport that Honda used both ADUO opportunities: the first upgrade appeared in the Netherlands, and a power unit incorporating the second was fitted to Lance Stroll's car at the Spanish Grand Prix.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Honda's use of its two permitted power-unit development opportunities 2026 Formula 1 season; disclosed in Autosport's article published on 30 September 2026 This is Watanabe's firsthand account as reported by Autosport. No separate Honda or FIA document was supplied.

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Watanabe said the second change was an improved turbocharger intended to address drivability problems, including turbo lag, in the earlier Spec 2 power unit. He said the two changes were introduced separately because work on turbo lag was proceeding in parallel with the Netherlands upgrade.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Purpose and timing of the second upgrade 2026 Netherlands and Spanish Grands Prix The stated problem, purpose and development sequence are Watanabe's explanation, not a measured account of the revised turbocharger's effect.

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Autosport says the FIA's component-usage list records a fifth turbocharger for Stroll at the Spanish Grand Prix and a fifth for Fernando Alonso at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The article presents Alonso's fifth turbocharger as apparently, not definitively, the upgraded version.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Reported component records for the two Aston Martin cars 2026 Spanish and Azerbaijan Grands Prix The FIA list itself was not supplied. A fifth-turbocharger entry alone does not establish which specification Alonso received.

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Autosport reports that Honda was permitted two ADUO opportunities after its internal-combustion engine was measured more than 4% behind the Red Bull Ford Powertrains engine, which the article describes as having the highest rated output.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Reported basis for Honda's ADUO eligibility 2026 Formula 1 season The comparison concerns internal-combustion-engine output, not the whole car or race performance. The underlying measurement and its method were not supplied.

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Autosport says Honda and HRC had previously indicated they would use only one ADUO opportunity. Watanabe now says both have been used and that work for the rest of the season will focus on making better use of the existing power unit rather than further hardware development. His statements that Spec 2 met Honda's targets and that more performance can be extracted remain Honda's assessments.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Previously stated plan and remaining development opportunities Remainder of the 2026 Formula 1 season No earlier Honda statement or independent assessment of the development targets was supplied. The change from the previously stated plan does not, by itself, establish deliberate secrecy.

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This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.