Honda Quietly Swapped Aston Martin’s Turbo — and Only Now Owned Up to It
While everyone else loves to shout about every bolt they change, Honda went the quiet route. The Japanese manufacturer has introduced a new turbocharger under the ADUO system (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) — a mechanism letting power unit makers who trail the benchmark (Red Bull, in this case) by more than 4% bring two upgrades per season. Alongside Honda, Ferrari also qualifies for the scheme.
The change made its way onto Lance Stroll’s and Fernando Alonso’s cars in two steps — first in Madrid, then again in Baku — and only now, with both of Honda’s ADUO “tokens” used up, has the manufacturer bothered to confirm it at Sepang. Nothing in the regulations actually forces a manufacturer to publicise the details, as long as the change shows up in FIA documentation — which is exactly how this one slipped past almost unnoticed.
So what does the new turbo actually do? It improves “boost following” — sharper turbo response, smoother power delivery, and better energy management by reducing how much the MGU-K has to compensate. Honda’s Shintaro Orihara confirmed the effect directly, crediting improved driveability and a measurable result on track.
Don’t expect miracles, though — Stroll remains candid that Honda is still giving away roughly two seconds a lap on the engine compared to the competition. A quiet win, not a revolution.
Source: The Race (https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/honda-secretly-introduced-aduo-2-f1-upgrade/)
