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Stroll Delivers Harsh Judgment on Honda’s F1 Engine Upgrade
Highlights
- Aston Martin eliminated early in Dutch GP sprint qualifying
- Lance Stroll disappointed with Honda’s engine upgrade progress
- Fernando Alonso narrowly missed Q2, placing 12th
- Engine driveability and braking inconsistencies remain major issues
- Team expects meaningful upgrades before Monza Grand Prix
- Aston Martin hopes chassis advantage aids race day performance
Aston Martin exits Dutch Grand Prix sprint qualifying early at Zandvoort, with Lance Stroll voicing frustration over Honda’s latest engine upgrade on its first full race-condition test.
Both cars fall short of expectations. Fernando Alonso’s rear wing straight mode malfunctions, costing top speed. He ends 12th, missing further progression by a tenth in a congested midfield.
Stroll trails Alonso by roughly 0.15s. He questions the step, saying, “Maybe a bit, but not nearly enough,” after the initial running reveals limited gains.
Aston Martin exits sprint qualifying early as Honda’s upgrade debuts in race trim.
Stroll details persistent driveability issues. Corner entry feels unpredictable. Engine braking varies by lap. Downshifts can fail, leaving sequences feeling, in his words, “like a lottery.”
Alonso strikes a more optimistic tone. He believes a cleaner outlap could unlock another tenth. Even so, he fails to improve on his final attempt.
Stroll: Engine braking inconsistency and failed downshifts make laps “like a lottery.”
The chassis shows progress since Budapest, improving platform stability and grip. Yet engine characteristics still cap performance, masking some of the car’s mechanical steps.
Context matters for Aston Martin and Honda. The project sits within Honda’s F1 comeback, but rivals also find gains. The team needs factory-led software calibration and hardware robustness to move the needle.
Weekend options are limited by parc fermé and sprint schedules. Significant steps are expected closer to Monza, aligning with a planned engine upgrade window for performance and driveability.
Team targets meaningful software and hardware steps before Monza.
Alonso notes the macro trend is positive. The gap to the Q1 leader shrinks, from 4.5 seconds earlier in the season to roughly 1.3 seconds at Zandvoort, reflecting recent in-house gains.
Alonso says the gap shrinks from 4.5s to 1.3s versus the Q1 leader.
Starting 18th and 19th compromises strategy. The AMR car should race better, with tyre management a relative strength. However, limited straight-line speed will restrict overtaking on Zandvoort’s short straights.
The headline is clear. The upgrade falls short of driver expectations today. Aston Martin and Honda will chase improved driveability maps, braking consistency, and shift logic over the coming rounds.
Stroll’s form and frank feedback inevitably prompt wider questions about direction. Internal debates on driver strategy resurface, as explored in the recent Stroll F1 shakeup coverage.
Visual Summary
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Q1 EXIT
Engine upgrade fails to unlock pace —
Q1 exit
leaves Aston Martin stuck at the back.
Q1 exit
leaves Aston Martin stuck at the back.
18th & 19th
Grid starts for Alonso & Stroll
1.3s
Gap to P1 shrinks from 4.5s
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“Maybe a bit, but not nearly enough.”
“Maybe a bit, but not nearly enough.”
— Stroll on Honda’s upgrade
🙂
“We’re much closer now.”
“We’re much closer now.”
— Alonso on Aston Martin’s chassis
Driveability issues make braking & downshifts a “lottery”
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Software & hardware updates crucial for progress — Monza hopes rise as Aston Martin and Honda chase lost speed.
Alonso & Stroll will rely on chassis grip to fight forwards from the back.
Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.
