Honda’s much-anticipated Formula 1 spec 2 engine debut at the Dutch Grand Prix sprint qualifying ended in frustration for Aston Martin. Both Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso failed to progress past SQ1, with Alonso’s run cut short by a rear wing failure that locked the aero in corner mode, slashing top speed by 20 km/h and draining the battery faster.
The issue cost Alonso roughly 2.5 seconds per lap, leaving him 2.3 seconds slower through Turn 1 and another two-tenths lost between Turns 10 and 11. Team radio revealed Alonso also complained of severe vibrations on the straights, which may have stemmed from the car grounding out due to the rear wing’s drag penalty. Honda’s chief engineer Shintaro Orihara confirmed the team would analyze data overnight to refine engine parameters ahead of Saturday’s session.
While the wing failure explains Alonso’s poor lap, it doesn’t absolve the power unit’s lingering drivability problems. Alonso described the car pushing on corner entry, a critical flaw under 2026’s energy-harvesting rules. Both drivers struggled to balance acceleration and braking, with Stroll also eliminated in SQ1 despite avoiding the wing issue. The team now faces a weekend of software tweaks to stabilize the engine’s performance before Sunday’s race.
