Honda reveal F1 "key focus" ahead of Italian GP test
Honda has been playing catch-up this season after bringing by far the weakest power unit to the 2026 Formula 1 grid
Honda has explained its "key focus" after a tough introduction of its Formula 1 power unit upgrades with Aston Martin in Zandvoort.
Aston Martin may have scored points for only the second time this year with Fernando Alonso's ninth-place finish at the Dutch Grand Prix as Honda brought its upgraded power unit to the track for the first time, but this success came on a backdrop of initial criticism from both the Spaniard and team-mate Lance Stroll.
“In free practice, things went reasonably well. But in Sprint Qualifying, we had problems with the response of the power unit.
“To be precise, the engine continued to push when decelerating before the corners. So, it wasn’t so easy to approach the bends correctly. Then I also could not activate the so-called straight line mode, which is when we flatten the wings on the straights.
“And the combination of these two factors meant that driving was quite tricky."
However, Alonso did comment that the early signs were encouraging, while suggesting that the sprint format in the Netherlands put the team at a disadvantage.
He added: "There isn’t much time for fine-tuning. If we had a normal schedule here, with three practice sessions, we probably would have gotten it sorted out. We still need to understand a few things better."
Drivability was the keyword mentioned by both drivers leaving Zandvoort, and Honda has sought to improve this ahead of the most power-sensitive track on the calendar.
"Monza is a unique circuit with one of the highest full-throttle ratios on the 2026 calendar, with its long straights and only 11 corners," said Honda chief engineer Shintaro Orihara in a post on social media.
"At this track, how you distribute the limited energy across these sections becomes crucial.
"Our key focus at the Italian Grand Prix is to improve drivability. Since the Dutch Grand Prix, we have been working a lot on the dyno at HRC Sakura to improve this and, specifically, to achieve stable and consistent combustion control."
Sam joined Crash.net in February 2026 with extensive experience in motorsport media, having covered numerous championships around the world.
