Breaking news
Formula 1 Singapore GP
Honda feared Alonso engine a write-off in Singapore crash
Honda has revealed it had fears that Fernando Alonso’s engine had been damaged beyond repair in the first accident he suffered at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Jonathan Noble
Edited: Sep 25, 2017, 1:40 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The Spaniard had pulled off a brilliant start to leap up to a potential third place at the Marina Bay circuit, before he was caught up in the collision between Kimi Raikkonen and Max Verstappen.
Although Alonso was able to get going again after the crash, the damage inflicted to his MCL32 was too severe – and a holed exhaust and failing electronics eventually forced him to retire to the pits.
In the wake of the race, though, Honda had genuine concerns that the impact and subsequent running had put too much strain through the power unit.
The Japanese manufacturer was worried it would have to be removed from Alonso’s pool of components – prompting the need for a new engine and grid penalties.
But speaking ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix, Honda’s F1 engine chief Yusuke Hasegawa has said that examination of the engine at his company’s base has delivered some good news.
“We were concerned that it may have been irreparably damaged, but fortunately after a thorough check back at the Sakura factory we can confirm it is okay to be re-used,” explained Hasegawa.
While McLaren had a strong showing in Singapore, the team is well-aware that things will be tougher for it in Malaysia this weekend – thanks to the Sepang circuit’s long straights.
Alonso said: “The configuration will work less in our favour, but of course we will still fight for everything. There are six races left and we are still putting all our energy in finishing every race in the best possible position we can.
“Sepang will be more difficult for us in terms of set-up since the straights require good straight-line speed and power, but this track is a mixture of a lot of different characteristics, so we’ll see how much we can make up on the slower-speed corners.
“The 2017 cars will definitely be faster through there, which will surely be fun to experience, and I hope we can avoid any drama and have a solid race.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article What the Aston Martin deal means for Red Bull
Next article Gilles Villeneuve’s very first driving course
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jonathan Noble
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
Formula 1
Formula 1 Dec 31, 2024
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Formula 1
Formula 1 Dec 31, 2024
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
Formula 1
Formula 1
Australian GP
Dec 28, 2024
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
More from
Fernando Alonso
F1 driver contracts: How long is each driver tied down for?
Formula 1
Formula 1 1 d
F1 driver contracts: How long is each driver tied down for?
Who slept worst last night: Fernando Alonso
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
5 d
Who slept worst last night: Fernando Alonso
More from
McLaren
McLaren to upgrade MCL40 car at its bogey F1 track Las Vegas
Formula 1
Formula 1
Las Vegas GP
19 h
McLaren to upgrade MCL40 car at its bogey F1 track Las Vegas
Latest news
The ten closest finishes from the 2026 NASCAR season
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup 11 h
The ten closest finishes from the 2026 NASCAR season
‘Lewis suspected a conspiracy’ – Nico Rosberg explains how Lewis Hamilton F1 rivalry went awry at Mercedes
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1 11 h
‘Lewis suspected a conspiracy’ – Nico Rosberg explains how Lewis Hamilton F1 rivalry went awry at Mercedes
BMW "proud of what we achieved" after securing runner-up in 2026 WEC
WEC
WEC WEC
Monza
13 h
BMW "proud of what we achieved" after securing runner-up in 2026 WEC
The numbers that reveal how sprint races have turned the MotoGP title fight upside down
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Qatar GP
15 h
The numbers that reveal how sprint races have turned the MotoGP title fight upside down
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe