Stroll hails Aston Martin’s Hungary upgrade as potentially the best in team history
Aston Martin’s mood changes in Hungary
Lance Stroll believes Aston Martin’s comprehensive Hungaroring upgrade could prove to be the most encouraging development package in the team’s history, marking a dramatic shift after a miserable opening phase of the Formula 1 season.
Aston Martin had scored just one point across the first 11 rounds and sat at the bottom of the constructors’ championship before introducing a 16-component B-specification package in Hungary. Although neither Stroll nor Fernando Alonso scored at the circuit, finishing P13 and P14 respectively, the team found evidence that its revised AMR26 had moved forward.
“It was the most encouraging upgrade we’ve had, I think, in a really, really long time, maybe in the history of this team,” Stroll told media. “So, really good.”
The overhaul extended well beyond aerodynamic changes. Aston Martin brought a lightened, re-homologated chassis and gearbox, alongside a near-complete aerodynamic rework involving the nose, front wing, floor, diffuser, sidepods, engine cover and rear-wing assembly.
Independent performance analyses estimated the package was worth approximately 1.4 to 1.8 seconds per lap in qualifying trim, although Aston Martin has not confirmed an official figure. The Hungaroring results therefore offered no immediate points reward, but the underlying change was enough to alter the team’s outlook.
Stroll sets realistic expectations
Before Hungary, Alonso’s P10 at Monaco represented Aston Martin’s only score. Reliability problems, predominantly linked to the Honda power-unit battery during the early flyaway races, had compounded the lack of pace.
Stroll said the team had made a substantial step, while accepting that it remained some distance from the front of the midfield.
“We took a huge step [at the Hungaroring],” he said. “We’re not in the front of the midfield, but in the mix.”
The Canadian added that Aston Martin still needed more power and downforce, reinforcing that the B-specification car is a foundation rather than a finished solution.
Honda engine upgrade next
Attention now turns to Zandvoort, where Honda will introduce a significantly reworked internal-combustion engine for Aston Martin. The update is Honda’s first under Formula 1’s ADUO concession system and targets combustion efficiency and friction reduction. Reports have suggested a gain of between 30 and 50 horsepower, though that figure remains unconfirmed in the source material.
Stroll expects the impact to depend on the circuit. He said Aston Martin may still struggle against Mercedes and identified Baku and Monza as more difficult power-focused venues. The team’s opportunity, he suggested, will come at circuits where cornering grip matters more than engine performance.
For Aston Martin, the Hungarian upgrade has restored momentum. Zandvoort will show whether that progress can be combined with a meaningful Honda step.
Simone Scanu
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.