Aston Martin hit by Honda engine driveability issues in Zandvoort sprint qualifying

Aston Martin's rollout of Honda's Spec 2 power unit at Zandvoort has triggered immediate headaches, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll battling severe driveability issues during sprint qualifying. Both drivers struggled to keep their cars on track as the more powerful engine over-delivered under braking, forcing the team into a rush to find fixes.

Why it matters:

This upgrade was meant to bolster Aston Martin's midfield resurgence after an effective Hungary package, but it has produced a damaging regression instead. Alonso spun in Turn 1 during SQ1 and ended up last, while Stroll could only salvage 19th place, ahead of just the Cadillac entries.

The details:

• Alonso reported heavy vibrations and an engine that was "over-delivering" on the brakes, making it nearly impossible to slow the car. He also revealed that the SLM mode failed to activate, preventing him from opening the rear wing and compounding the handling woes.
• Stroll echoed similar driveability complaints and noted other gremlins, though he outpaced both Cadillac cars. Alonso was three seconds off the pace in 22nd.
• Honda acknowledged that the Spec 2 engine's altered combustion characteristics wiped out much of its earlier driveability work. Project leader Shintaro Orihara admitted cornering-phase behavior has changed significantly and the manufacturer must restart its optimization from scratch.

What's next:

Aston Martin and Honda face a race against time to implement fixes before the sprint. The team will analyze data overnight to tackle the braking and throttle mapping issues, though Honda cautioned that recalibrating the new power unit's cornering behavior will take time. For Alonso, who remains non-committal about his F1 future, another weekend of setbacks is unwelcome.