McLaren to take engine penalties at Spa

McLaren are going into the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend already expecting to start at the back of the field. This is nigh on guaranteed as both Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button will have a new power unit in their cars this weekend, meaning they will incur grid penalties that will most likely leave them 19th and 20th on the grid.

“We will start at the back of the grid,” Jenson Button admitted, “but with turn 1 here you never know what is going to happen. We would have been in the mid-pack, so it can always end with a wheel missing at turn 1. Starting at the back is not such a bad thing, we might pick up four or five places.”

Honda are bringing an updated engine to Spa; spending three of their engine tokens to do so. Updates to the combustion chamber, intake, exhaust and gear-train are aimed at matching the horsepower of the Ferrari engine. This will be crucial both this weekend and at the following race at Monza, as both circuits are two of the fastest on the F1 calendar.

However, since the change in regulations regarding engine penalties, the drivers will not have to take penalties in the race for ones they cannot serve in qualifying.

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