Gasly loses power after reverting to old-spec Honda engine

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Saturday's qualifying session was a set-back for Pierre Gasly, the Toro Rosso driver unable to take advantage of Honda's new updated power unit after a technical issue forced him to revert to the old-spec engine.

The Frenchman, who missed the Q2 cut by a tenth of a second and will line up P16 on Sunday's grid, rued the lost opportunity.

"We had an issue with the engine in P3, with the new upgrade, we had to revert to the engine [we used] in Monaco," Gasly told Sky Sports.

"On a track like Canada the top speed is massively important and it made qualifying quite tough. It’s always frustrating to miss out with such a small gap."

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If anything, returning to Honda's previous engine offered Gasly another reminder of just how better and more powerful the new-spec unit happens to be.

"The positive, Brendon did a good job with the upgrades so I just can’t wait to put this back on my car as soon as possible," said the 22-year-old rookie.

"The speed on the straight, when you put the [throttle] down you just have more power from the engine. So basically you go quicker just on the straights.

"On a track like Canada where you have such long straights, the gain of lap time is quite important," he added.

"Looking at the positives, it’s good for the coming races. It just will be quite difficult for our side of the garage tomorrow."

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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.