Ahead of the 2026 F1 Belgian GP, Honda said it expects the long straights and limited energy-recovery opportunities at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps to pose challenges for both drivers and engineers.
Aston Martin has continuously struggled with a significant performance deficit since the beginning of the 2026 F1 season. The lack of performance is a result of unreliability, an underperforming AMR26, and a power unit deficit. The team currently sits P10 in the Constructors’ Championship with a single point.
Trackside General Manager and Chief Engineer, Shintaro Orihara, shared his insights on how the 2026 F1 Belgian GP will be extra demanding on the Honda PU. The Japanese engineer also confirmed that Honda will introduce its highly anticipated powertrain upgrade package later in Zandvoort.
The 2026 F1 Belgian GP will be a tough weekend for Honda
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is expected to be one of the toughest tracks of the 2026 F1 season due to its track layout. Not only is it the longest circuit on the 2026 F1 calendar, but it is also defined by sweeping high-speed corners.
Orihara reflected that these characteristics of the circuit are demanding on both drivers and engineers. However, it will also be a testing weekend for Honda as they would need to balance electrical deployment, performance and reliability at the 2026 F1 Belgian GP.
“Spa is home to the longest track on the 2026 calendar, and it’s also one of the most popular amongst drivers and fans. It’s a technical circuit for the drivers, with complex corner sections. The combination of long straights and high-speed corners makes it a very challenging circuit for the engineers too. Both to predict throttle application and looking at energy deployment over the course of the lap.
“It will be a test for manufacturers in terms of energy management. So we need to consider how we will deploy MGU-K power on the long straights. The harvesting here is quite limited, even considering the circuit length. This puts more emphasis on getting the deployment plan right. The straights are also a demand on the power unit in general – not only for performance but also for reliability.”
Orihara confirms upcoming Honda powertrain upgrade arrival
While Aston Martin plans to bring their long-awaited massive upgrade package for the AMR26 to the 2026 F1 Hungarian GP. Orihara revealed that the Japanese manufacturer only plans to debut its upgraded powertrain in two races time at Zandvoort.
Honda has continued developments for its power unit throughout the season using the Additional Development Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) framework.
Honda plans to use the 2026 F1 Belgian GP to gather more insightful data to prepare for future races at similar high-speed tracks. Unpredictable weather at Spa-Francorchamps could also pose another challenge for Honda as they have yet to experience a fully wet race under the 2026 F1 regulations.
“We have two more races before we introduce the new engine. It’s important to keep learning with this current spec, so we can take those energy deployment findings into future races – like Monza, where we also have the long straights.
“An added unknown is the changeable weather conditions at the circuit. At Silverstone it remained dry, so Spa could be the first time where we have proper wet conditions in a session. In terms of the weather, anything can happen here.”
