Alonso changes power unit again and will start from the pit lane

Fernando Alonso will start from the pit lane after another power-unit change. The decision follows his 16th place in qualifying and power difficulties in the sprint and qualifying session. Honda is replacing the unit Alonso first used in Baku, which lasted fewer than three Grands Prix.

Honda also described the conditions during the sprint. Rain shortly before the race left the track wet and made energy management more difficult. “Despite the difficulties, we managed to gather useful data during the session,” the manufacturer said. The team said it subsequently reviewed that information and worked on the settings ahead of qualifying.

Honda acknowledged that the result was not what it had sought, while saying it was continuing to learn about its technical package in the particular conditions faced over the weekend. The decision to change the unit followed Alonso’s comments during qualifying. The replacement was carried out overnight from Saturday to Sunday.

“There is still a lot of work to do before tomorrow’s race, but the team will stay focused on the task and keep preparing for the Grand Prix,” Honda added. Alonso will therefore approach the race from the pit lane as the team continues its preparations after the power problems and the overnight change.