Honda can't guarantee Canadian GP engine upgrade

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Honda F1 boss Yusuke Hasegawa won't commit to the Japanese manufacture's upgrade schedule of its power unit which calls for major updates to be introduced at next month's Canadian Grand Prix.

Following appalling performance and reliability since the season kicked off in Melboure, Honda has been working on a substantial series of revision of its troubled V6 hybrid engine.

The manufacturer has apparently sought help from engine consultant Ilmor while the possibility of cooperating with Mercedes has also been talked about.

"Obviously Canada will be the power circuit, so if we can prepare the new engine, we'd like to," Hasegawa said.

"But still I'm not sure that we can."

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Fernando Alonso's remarkable effort in qualifying yesterday, which yielded seventh place on today's grid, demonstrated that progress has been made on the performance front, although Honda still remains at a huge distance from its rivals.

Hasegawa pointed to an issue with its engine's oil system as the reason for Alonso's failure in FP1 on Friday morning, just three corners into the session!

"From the data we lost the oil first so the pressure went down and still the engine was running, so the engine was OK, but once the oil pressure was down then the engine was broken," Hasegawa explained.

"We are thinking the oil pressure drop was happening from some mechanical issue with the oil feed."

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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.