British Grand Prix – Fernando Alonso is set to receive a five-place grid penalty for this weekend’s British Grand Prix owing to a change of a power unit component.
The McLaren man will use his fifth energy store of the season – breaking the limit of four. The punishment for which is a five-place gird penalty on wherever he qualifies.
The entire power unit is divided into six elements; the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), the Turbocharger, the Energy Store, the Control Electronics, the Motor Generator Unit – Heat (MGU-H) and the Motor Generator Unit – Kinetic (MGU-K).
A driver can use four of each element across the course of a season. If any more are required, grid penalties are applied.
For the first time any fifth element is used by the team, a ten-place grid penalty is applied. For every other fifth element used, a five-place grid penalty is applied.
As Alonso has already used a fifth element on the ICE, Turbocharger, MGU-H and MGU-K, he will only incur a five-place penalty.
Given that Alonso has already used a seventh turbocharger and MGU-H this season, he will only incur a power unit-related ten-place grid drop if the number of any element reaches eight.
By contrast, the driver with the lowest power unit element usage is Williams’ Lance Stroll, who has used one energy store and two of each remaining element.
Alonso’s 2017 power unit element usage so far:
- Internal Combustion Engine – 5
- Turbocharger – 7
- Motor Generator Unit – Heat – 7
- Motor Generator Unit – Kinetic – 5
- Energy Store – 5
- Control Electronics – 4
Stroll’s 2017 power unit element usage so far:
- Internal Combustion Engine – 2
- Turbocharger – 2
- Motor Generator Unit – Heat – 2
- Motor Generator Unit – Kinetic – 2
- Energy Store – 1
- Control Electronics – 2
