Fernando Alonso says he retired from the Italian Grand Prix in order to protect his engine after suffering a loss of power.
Cracks have started to appear in the relationship between McLaren and Honda as the Japanese power unit remains uncompetitive, while reliability issues also struck Jenson Button in Spa. Alonso was the one to suffer at Monza, saying he retired as a precaution when he felt something wrong with his power unit.
“I got a good start today, then a couple of cars made contact at the first corner, which slowed me down," Alonso said. "Then, at the second chicane, I came close to Jenson and eventually lost all the advantage I’d gained.
“Jenson and I were on two different tyre strategies, to try to cover all possible opportunities. I was on the Prime, which was one second slower than the Option, so I had a slower first stint, but then I was a bit quicker in the second.
“In the final laps, I felt a loss of power and was told to retire the car, so as not to cause further damage. We were outside the points anyway, so it was a wise decision.”
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