Honda plans two power unit upgrades for 2027, with a big step around round eight
Honda's chief engineer Shintaro Orihara says the Japanese manufacturer will bring a first step at the start of 2027 and a larger one around round eight, aimed at its weak point: the combustion engine. Aston Martin's Mike Krack says the partnership with Honda is long term.
A roadmap, with a caveat
Honda has put dates on its recovery plan. Speaking in Austin, chief engineer Shintaro Orihara said the company intends to bring two upgrade steps in 2027: one for the season opener and a bigger one around mid-year. According to PlanetF1, he put the second at roughly round eight, with the caveat that it is only an estimate Adrian Newey, quoted by RacingNews365, suggested that could be the Monaco Grand Prix.
Orihara was frank that the first step will not close the gap. Honda wants to bring improvements for round one, he explained, but does not expect to be a top power unit at that point and will need one more step. Newey added that the two-step plan depends on the regulations.
Why two steps are allowed
The schedule is tied to the ADUO mechanism, the additional development and upgrade opportunities that let manufacturers who trail the benchmark keep developing. PlanetF1 reports that Honda, Ferrari and Audi each have two ADUO tokens because their combustion engine power is at least 4% behind the benchmark, Red Bull Powertrains.
Orihara named the area Honda is attacking. "Our weak point is combustion," he said, according to RacingNews365. A tweak next year is intended to produce more power from the combustion engine and rely less on the battery. That matters because the 2027 and 2028 rules, as PlanetF1 describes them, shift the balance towards a 60-40 split in favour of the V6 over electrical power.
Background: a difficult first year
Aston Martin's first season with Honda works power has been hard. The sources cite a lack of power, severe vibrations, turbo lag and drivability concerns, and PlanetF1 notes that Honda has had multiple retirements. Honda and Aston Martin have worked on repackaging the power unit in the AMR26 chassis to remove the early vibration problems.
Newey has described Honda as slightly behind where Red Bull was when it took over Honda's engines in 2019, while saying he has confidence the company will accelerate quickly.
Aston Martin chief trackside officer Mike Krack was asked about a possible Red Bull Powertrains deal for 2028 and rejected it. "I can only say that we have a partner, a long-term partner, which is Honda," he said. Krack also noted that Honda had just completed its 500th race, in Austin.
By the numbers
Our results data shows how far there is to go. After 18 rounds Aston Martin has 7 points, all scored by Fernando Alonso, who sits 17th in the drivers' standings. Alonso's best finish is eighth and he has three top-ten results in 2026; Lance Stroll has no points, with a best finish of 12th. Five races remain this season before the first of Honda's two planned steps arrives.
