Honda has identified driveability and energy management as key targets for Aston Martin at the Canadian Grand Prix, as Formula 1 heads to Montreal for another Sprint weekend under the updated 2026 regulations.

Shintaro Orihara, Honda’s Trackside General Manager and Chief Engineer believes the Miami Grand Prix gave the Japanese manufacturer confidence in its reliability work, while also offering more lessons on how to manage energy deployment under the revised rules.

Orihara said: “At the Miami Grand Prix, we confirmed our battery vibration improvements and our overall power unit reliability.

"It was also a key opportunity to learn on the energy management side under the updated 2026 regulations, and this will continue in Canada," he added.

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve places a heavy demand on braking, traction and power delivery, with long straights broken up by slow corners and aggressive kerb use.

For Honda, the target is clear. A smoother and more accurate delivery from the power unit should give Aston Martin’s drivers more confidence on corner entry and exit, especially with Lance Stroll racing at home.

Orihara added: “In Montreal, which is Lance’s home race, we will focus on enhancing the driveability and our energy management strategy to support the drivers in building more confidence. In fact, this is an important target of our race weekend.

“If we can give more confidence to the drivers in entering the corners faster and carrying more speed, then we unlock lap time," he maintained.

Canada will also feature the Sprint format, increasing pressure on teams to complete their preparation in a single 60 minute practice session before competitive running begins.

Orihara commented: “Canada is another new Sprint race format, making FP1 very important. At this event, it’s the usual 60 minutes, so it’s crucial to optimize everything during this session.

“Another characteristic is that the circuit has a long straight, so it’s vital to adjust energy deployment in this section of the lap.

“We also have a slow speed corner section before the back straight, but also Turns 1 and 2. Additionally, we have to consider possible wet conditions and cooler temperatures.

"This can be tricky for grip, and driveability becomes even more important with a combination of MGU-K delivery accuracy and torque delivery accuracy," the Honda F1 boss concluded.