F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Honda engine problems go beyond lack of power - Alonso

As he enters another low prospect Grand Prix weekend, Fernando Alonso says that Honda's power unit suffers from weaknesses that go beyond its simple lack of power.

McLaren-Honda are bracing for another tough weekend in China, on a circuit which is likely to compound Honda's difficulties because of its long straight.

An aerodynamic upgrade on the team's MCL32 will perhaps offer McLaren's drivers a bit of solace in qualifying but the prospect for race day is as bleak as Shanghai's wet weather forecast.

Alonso has pinpointed the fuel consumption of Honda's V6 unit as another area of concern, with the Spanish driver forced to lift well in advance of braking zones to minimize excessive consumption.

"In Australia it was a record for us, the fuel saving," said Alonso.

"It's going to be difficult for us this year, as long as the engine doesn't improve.

"It's not [only] power, it's many things - it's reliability, it's fuel saving, and there are a lot more implications in the driving that we cannot drive normally, because we need to drive around the engine.

"It's quite difficult, it's quite hard now, to drive the car.

"You cannot do any mistake for the whole race, because any mistake in one corner in the next straight they will overtake you with the speed difference - you need to do zero mistakes.

"I don't think we are lacking deployment, compared to the opposition, it's just we have less power, so our time on the straights is much longer than the rest."

Honda is working on introducing a revised  combustion engine at the Spanish Grand Prix in May, hoping the changes will help efficiency and power output.

For Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne, the changes can't come soon enough.

GALLERY: All the Thursday pics from Shanghai

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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