By Graham Duxbury @TheRealDux

The heavily revised Aston Martin AMR26 introduced at the recent Hungarian Grand Prix was effectively the first major step in the team’s long-awaited update of its 2026 Formula One car.

The update package included significant aerodynamic changes and, crucially, weight reduction, addressing one of the car’s fundamental weaknesses. Adrian Newey has deliberately concentrated on one major update rather than applying a series of small, incremental fixes.

The results in Hungary were encouraging. Aston Martin moved ahead of Cadillac and Williams in qualifying and, more importantly, Fernando Alonso reached Q2 for the first time this season.

The next piece of the puzzle arrives at Zandvoort next weekend, where Honda is scheduled to introduce its new-specification power unit. The Japanese manufacturer has been working on both performance and the vibration problems that have plagued the RA626H, with changes to the combustion system intended to extract more power.

How much lap time could Aston Martin gain? Estimates before the Hungarian upgrade suggested the chassis package could be worth around 1.5 to 2.0 seconds per lap, although this figure is dependent on circuit characteristics and how accurately the simulations correlate with track performance.

A further roughly 0.5 seconds from the Honda upgrade is a reasonable target rather than a guaranteed figure. Together, that could transform Aston Martin from a backmarker into a genuine midfield contender.

But race victories are another matter. Former F1 driver David Coulthard believes Aston Martin can win within two years, and the infrastructure, Honda works partnership and Newey's technical leadership certainly provide the ingredients.

And then there is Fernando Alonso. At 45, time is arguably the most unforgiving opponent he faces. If Newey's project accelerates as hoped, the intriguing question is whether Aston Martin can give Alonso a winning car before the two-time champion decides to hang up his crash helmet.