Stroll reveals brutal Honda deficit despite secret engine upgrade

Honda has revealed that it has quietly burned through both of its 2026 Formula 1 engine development opportunities – but Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll insists there’s little evidence that the second intervention has solved the team’s biggest problem.

The Japanese manufacturer had previously indicated that it would use only one of its two Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) this season.

It has now emerged that Honda actually deployed both, with the second arriving much earlier than previously known.

The revelation is unlikely to lift the mood at Aston Martin. While the team has made progress on the chassis side, Stroll claims its Honda power unit remains such a severe handicap that it can cost the team up to two seconds per lap at certain circuits.

Honda admits it used both upgrades

Honda’s first 2026 ADUO update appeared at the Dutch Grand Prix in August, when the manufacturer introduced its Spec 2 power unit.

But the second intervention took place just two races later when Honda fitted an updated turbocharger to Stroll’s car at the Spanish Grand Prix, although the significance of that change has just only become public.

Ahead of this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe confirmed the previously undisclosed development when explaining why the manufacturer had ultimately used both opportunities.

“We used both of them,” Watanabe revealed when asked why Honda had decided to use only one ADUO upgrade.

“We introduced the first ADUO upgrade in the Netherlands, and then we put a PU incorporating the second update into Lance Stroll's car at the Spanish Grand Prix.

“The Spec 2 PU we introduced in the Netherlands had some drivability issues, so we introduced an improved turbo at the Spanish Grand Prix.”

In other words, Honda’s second opportunity was not simply an additional performance push. It was also intended to address problems that emerged with the first specification.

For Stroll, however, the net result has been underwhelming.

Asked ahead in Sepang on Thursday what difference he had felt from the upgraded engine, the Aston Martin driver was blunt.

“Not much. You know, we're really struggling on the engine side. We know that, so a lot of work to be done,” he said.

‘We’re missing two seconds in engines’

Stroll’s assessment of the situation becomes considerably more stark when the discussion turns to lap time.

The Canadian believes Aston Martin is carrying an enormous deficit to its rivals whenever the characteristics of a circuit expose the weaknesses of the Honda power unit.

“We're missing two seconds in engines, so it's difficult. Places like Baku and Monza, when you're missing two seconds in engine, there's not much you can do,” he explained.

“On the car side, we know we started late compared to everyone else, development for the new regulations. We made a big step in Budapest.

“I think we have a clear direction on what we have to do with car development, but, you know, we're lacking between a second and two seconds, depending on the tracks, every weekend in engine.

“There's not much we can do with that. So, you know, right now that's really our weakness.”

That puts the significance of Honda’s second ADUO upgrade into perspective. An improved turbo may have addressed the drivability problems identified by Honda, but Stroll’s comments suggest it has done little to transform Aston Martin’s competitive position.

2027 brings hope – and a big question mark

Stroll is not writing off the partnership, however. With Aston Martin already planning for the next phase of the regulations, he believes the chassis development programme is heading in the right direction.

“I think the car is going to get a lot better,” he said. “We have a plan, a good direction. We know what we have to do to put downforce on the car and all that stuff.

“I think the big question mark's the engine. We don't know how we're going to be in the beginning of '27, so we'll see. But yeah, excited for another trip around the world.”

For now, Aston Martin has little choice but to trust that Honda can close the gap. Stroll says there is no current move to reconsider the partnership despite the magnitude of the deficit.

“Well, right now we're working together to get it right. We have some ideas for next year, so hopefully we're in a much better spot.”

And Honda, according to Stroll, is at least throwing everything it can at the problem.

• Read also: Alonso commits to Aston Martin as 2027 line-up is confirmed

“Honda's pushing flat out, doing everything they can to bring more power. So, time will tell if we do,” he added. “It's just a question mark. We'll see the first race next year.

“But I think there's definitely a very bright future. The team is in a good spot. I think we made that big upgrade in Budapest to improve the car a huge amount, so we have a clear direction on what we have to do. I think it’s very exciting for everyone.”

That optimism is now largely resting on what Honda can deliver next. Aston Martin may have quietly spent both of its 2026 engine development opportunities, but Stroll’s assessment suggests the payoff so far has been anything but transformative.

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