Alonso set for race penalty after engine change

Fernando Alonso is set for a penalty during the Austrian Grand Prix after changing a number of engine components.

The Spaniard has a new internal combustion engine (ICE), turbocharger and MGU-H, all of which will be the fifth of each component to be used on his car this season. As a driver is limited to four of each part, Alonso will be hit with penalties for each change.

The first change carries a 10-place grid penalty, with each subsequent part which is replaced carrying a 5-place penalty. As a result, Alonso is set to be hit with a 20-place grid penalty after qualifying in Austria. With just 20 cars on the grid in 2015, such a penalty is impossible to take - with pole position to 20th being a drop of 19 places - so Alonso will receive a penalty in the race for any unused grid positions on the following scale:

  • 1-5 unused grid positions = 5 second time penalty
  • 6-10 unused grid positions = 10 second time penalty
  • 10-20 unused grid positions = drive-through penalty

Alonso is also set to take a new MGU-K for this weekend's race, but as it will be the third new unit he has used this season, the change doesn't lead to a penalty.

Daniel Ricciardo is also set to take a fifth ICE this weekend and will be hit with a 10-place grid penalty following tomorrow's qualifying session.

Click here for F1i's exclusive interview with Daniel Ricciardo

Click here for the F1 drivers' girlfriends gallery

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.

Recent Posts

Las Vegas GP: Thursday's action in pictures

The opening day of running at the Las Vegas GP was a smooth but chilly…

3 hours ago

Williams' headaches persist into Vegas practice

Williams is continuing to fight uphill battles this weekend in Las Vegas as a knock-on…

4 hours ago

Ferrari's Sainz 'not satisfied with where we are' in Vegas

It was a solid start to the Las Vegas weekend for Ferrari with Carlos Sainz…

5 hours ago

Norris labels McLaren long-run pace ‘shocking’ in chilly Vegas

Lando Norris didn’t hold back in his assessment of McLaren’s performance on the opening day…

6 hours ago

Hamilton delighted with ‘consistently strong day’ in Vegas

Lewis Hamilton was particularly happy with his opening day of running at the Las Vegas…

8 hours ago

Verstappen stuck with 'draggy' rear wing for Vegas

Red Bull fears that its prospects for this weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix - which…

9 hours ago