McLaren will be boosted by a major power unit upgrade from Honda at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.
The race at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit places a high demand on power unit performance with long sections of full throttle required. Following the summer break, Honda has upgraded its power unit ahead of the race, with both Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button set to receive the new engine.
The upgrade relates to the internal combustion engine (ICE), with Honda focusing on improving combustion efficiency by updating the combustion chamber. There are also improvements to the turbo and the compressor, which is a continuation of the work Honda did with a turbo upgrade in Canada.
The Montreal turbo upgrade actually impacted on power from the ICE, slightly reducing the output. The new turbo and compressor to be introduced in Belgium addresses that deficit. With the developments focusing on three areas, Honda has spent seven tokens in total on the upgrade.
The upgrades result in both drivers using their fifth power unit components, with Honda saying it is unsure when it will take future penalties. Using a sixth power unit component carries a 10-place grid penalty.
Honda now has three power unit development tokens remaining for 2016, which it intends to use this season but may turn its full attention to its 2017 power unit before that time.
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