Fernando Alonso will take a 15-place grid penalty after McLaren-Honda fitted new power unit components to his car ahead of final practice on Saturday.
The 35-year-old Spaniard had already taken a 30-place penalty following a new power unit for Friday’s practice, in which Honda upgraded the engine block and the exhaust in an effort to reduce weight.
Originally the plan was to revert to a previous engine for qualifying and the race, but now the team opted to the older engine with a new turbocharger and a new MGU-H, which has added the additional 15-place penalty and making the total on the weekend set at 45.
Both Alonso and Jenson Button will run an updated exhaust for the race.
Despite starting from the back of the grid on Sunday, Alonso is in prime position to enjoy the new engine block without incurring a penalty at Honda’s home grand prix next week in Japan.
Joey Barnes is the Founder of Motorsports Tribune, an outlet that began with the goal of helping aspiring journalists break into and grow the industry. A regular on the racing scene since 2013, the journey for Joey started by covering a Grand-Am event at Circuit of The Americas in his home state of Texas. He has since primarily focused on the IndyCar Series, with appearances in the garages of NASCAR, paddocks of Formula 1, IMSA and World Endurance Championship, while also occasionally engulfing clouds of dust at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals and select Supercross rounds. With previous stops at Autoweek, IndyCar.com, Motorsport.com and RACER, among others, Joey evolved from the singular task as a freelance writer to advanced roles behind the copy desk and alongside some of the best editorial teams in the business. Recognized as a multi-time award winner by the National Motorsports Press Association, Joey currently resides in Dallas-Fort Worth with his trusty four-legged canine companion, Rocket.
McLaren-Honda is delighted to announce its new driver line-up for 2015: Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button. Kevin Magnussen will remain an important […]
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