Honda disclosed its first ADUO power‑unit update at the Dutch Zandvoort round, concentrating exclusively on the internal combustion engine without mentioning horsepower figures.
Internal‑Engine Focus at Zandvoort
Chief engineer Shintaro Orihara confirmed that the upgrade targeted the combustion unit itself. During the media session, Orihara carried a paper from the team to emphasize that the team would not disclose power‑output data, a decision he maintained even after the event.
Orihara noted that dyno testing at the HRC Sakura facility validated the expected performance gains, and that the new engine spec led to a step forward in metrics that the team had set.
Driveability Still Needs Refinement
Despite the positive dyno results, Honda acknowledged that driver feedback revealed ongoing driveability issues. Orihara described the problem as a combination of shifting behaviour, combustion stability during braking, and torque pickup during engine braking.
To address these matters, the team has collected all data and driver insights, running them through the dyno to adjust controls. Honda’s focus for the next week in Monza is to confirm the countermeasures derived from the Zandvoort feedback.
Collaboration Between Power Unit and Chassis
Aston Martin’s chief trackside officer Mike Krack highlighted that driveability is not exclusive to the power unit; chassis dynamics play a critical role. Krack stressed that achieving consistency across varying regeneration, braking, and downshifting states is complex and requires integrated optimisation from both teams.
Krack’s comments underline the broader F1 context where teams must balance mechanical grip and power‑unit output to secure competitive lap times.
Optimisation Without New Hardware
Orihara added that while further performance can still be extracted from the existing upgrade, it will come through data optimisation rather than additional hardware changes.\n Honda has already introduced calibration adjustments tailored for Zandvoort, but he cautions that the gains will be incremental rather than transformational.
Looking Ahead to Monza
With the first ADUO upgrade in place and driveability improvements underway, Honda plans to validate the revised settings at Monza. The team aims to stay within the “expected” performance envelope while tightening stability across the drive cycle.
As the season progresses, the combination of combustion tweaks and chassis synergy will be key to turning the incremental gains into on‑track advantage for Honda’s Formula 1 programme.
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