Honda is planning to bring its upgraded Formula 1 engine to the Dutch Grand Prix after the summer break and has revealed more about how it intends to improve the performance of what is widely accepted to be the worst engine on the grid.

With Aston Martin set to debut its heavily revamped 2026 F1 car at the Hungarian GP later this month, the Silverstone-based squad’s plans are now set to get a further boost at the following race.

After weeks of Honda saying only loosely that its improved engine would come some time around the ‘summer’, it has revealed it's now working towards a Zandvoort debut - the first race after the August shutdown.

Speaking ahead of the British Grand Prix, Honda’s trackside general manager Shintaro Orihara said: "We are working hard to complete our job list to achieve bringing [the] new power unit to Netherlands. That is our target."

Orihara confirmed the upgrade will not require any new installation work on the Aston Martin chassis, as all the engine modifications are internal – with Honda targeting progress in terms of both combustion and reducing friction.

Orihara added: "Our focus point is to improve engine performance. We are working on combustion chamber shape to modify pre-chamber, and also we will change combustion chamber shape to improve combustion performance.

"Also we are working to reduce friction by modifying lubrication system.

"And also of course to improve reliability, because if we increase performance we need to increase reliability."

While Aston Martin is hoping that a combination of car and engine improvements will lift it into the fight for points, Orihara did not want to reveal any details about much more power will be on tap from the new-spec engine.

"I know the number from the dyno, but I can't disclose the number,” he said. “We are aiming to get a reasonable big step rather than bring a small step. But I would say there is no magic in Formula 1.

"I don't think we're going to catch up Mercedes or RBPT by one step, but we're going to bring a reasonable big step."

Honda only plans to introduce a single homologation upgrade this season, even though under F1’s ADUO (Additional Design and Upgrade Opportunities) it is allowed to bring two.

The new Aston Martin that will appear at Spa-Francorchamps will include both an aerodynamic overhaul as well as big weight reduction.

Speaking earlier this week about those revisions, team principal Adrian Newey said: "The main structural elements remain the same – the chassis and gearbox architecture don't fundamentally change – but we've taken weight out of both, which required re-homologating and crash testing the forward chassis.

"The front suspension is unchanged. The rear suspension is slightly revised.

"We've developed a new nose and substantially revised aerodynamic surfaces. So, while the core structure is similar, it's a big aerodynamic package coupled with significant weight reduction.

"The target is to get very close to the weight limit."