Aston Martin set to go even FASTER as Honda chief fires warning to F1 rivals

Honda's chief track engineer and trackside general manager Shintaro Orihara has warned Aston Martin's rivals that they still expect to find further pace from their recently upgraded F1 car.

At last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, Aston Martin brought their first upgrades of the season, with the FIA confirming prior to the race weekend that the major package consisted of a whopping 16 updates.

The chassis upgrade was led by F1 design genius Adrian Newey, who joined the Silverstone squad back in 2025 but struggled to get his first challenger for the F1 team off the ground across the opening 10 rounds of the 2026 championship.

We all knew this upgrade was coming, but even the team's owner Lawrence Stroll admitted he found the idea of 'being patient' a tricky one to grasp as he watched his squad flail at the bottom of the timesheets week in, week out.

And after a much more positive weekend in Hungary, Honda chief Orihara has signalled that the team's improvements are far from over.

F1 HEADLINES: FIA confirm another Antonelli punishment as stewards backed over ‘painful’ decision

Honda expect even more from Aston Martin

Aston Martin's F1 driver duo of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll struggled to be positive at times about their chances of leaping up the competitive order once the upgrades eventually arrived.

Even after taking to the track on Saturday and making it into Q2 for the first time this season, Alonso told media in Hungary that the team are still way behind the rest of the pack.

However, the two-time champion added that he was keen for the team to continue with their development pathway, something that could see the squad gain not only lap time but also put them in the mix for championship points if they manage to catch up to the tightly packed midfield.

"We’re six months behind, and now we have to win the development race off the track," said the 44-year-old whose own future in the sport depends on just how competitive Newey's design can be.

Alonso finished P14 in Sunday's main event with team-mate Stroll one place ahead of him, signalling a major improvement for Aston Martin who have been at the very bottom of the finishing order or out of the race entirely, often struggling to catch even new squad Cadillac so far this season.

The deficit that Honda and Aston Martin are carrying compared to the rest of the constructors' on the grid continues to present a major challenge to the Japanese power unit provider, though Orihara is confident there is still more pace to gain.

"We'll gain lap time, that's for sure," warned Honda's chief track engineer in quotes reported by Spanish publication Marca.

Honda's own upgrade is next up, with the three-week break for the sport's summer shutdown meaning that Aston Martin will have to wait until the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August to see how competitive their new power unit can make them.

The team are expected to test their upgraded engine in Hungary on Wednesday, July 29 during a filming day.

READ MORE: Newey gives verdict on reuniting with Horner after Aston Martin links

F1 2026 STANDINGS: Latest points table as Hamilton falters in title battle