Honda plan to roll out Aston Martin F1 speed boost at Canadian Grand Prix

Photo: © IMAGO

Aston Martin

Honda plan to roll out Aston Martin speed boost at Canadian Grand Prix

Will Honda and Aston Martin take a step forward in Montreal?

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Wednesday 20 May 2026 09:12

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When it comes to Aston Martin it's best to think of their achievements in 2026 as you would with a baby, treating every minor gurgle or babble as positive indication of their development.

If the AMR26 was a fledgling human it might have just taken its first steps, with the Miami Grand Prix marking the first time both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll actually finished a race in 2026.

Yes, they were only 15th and 17th place. But how many infants do you know that have broke records or run marathons anyway?

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So, what stage are we at regarding the ~~baby's~~ Aston Martin's development heading into Canada? If Honda are to believed, then we're nearing potty training!

Honda outline expectations ahead of Canadian Grand Prix

Ahead of the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix, trackside general manager and chief engineer at Honda, Shintaro Orihara, outlined their goals for the race weekend.

Orihara also revealed how Honda will help Aston Martin improve their lap times in Montreal, hoping to give their drivers more confidence in the corners and carrying speed.

He explained: "At the Miami Grand Prix, we confirmed our battery vibration improvements and our overall power unit reliability. It was also a key opportunity to learn on the energy management side under the updated 2026 regulations, and this will continue in Canada.

"In Montreal, which is Lance’s home race, we will focus on enhancing the driveability and our energy management strategy to support the drivers in building more confidence. In fact, this is an important target of our race weekend. If we can give more confidence to the drivers in entering the corners faster and carrying more speed, then we unlock lap time.

"Canada is another new sprint race format, making FP1 very important. At this event, it’s the usual 60-minutes, so it’s crucial to optimise everything during this session. Another characteristic is that the circuit has a long straight, so it’s vital to adjust energy deployment in this section of the lap.

"We also have a slow speed corner section before the back straight, but also Turns 1 and 2. Additionally, we have to consider possible wet conditions and cooler temperatures. This can be tricky for grip, and driveability becomes even more important with a combination of MGU-K delivery, accuracy and torque delivery accuracy."

F1 Aston Martin Canadian Grand Prix Honda