Honda has firmly defended the condition of Fernando Alonso's power unit despite the Spanish driver's early exit from the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The unexplained issue forced Aston Martin to bury their hopes of scoring points in Baku.
Alonso was battling Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas when his car, fitted with a new Honda power unit, suddenly lost straight-line speed. The exact cause remains a mystery. It was a weekend to forget for the team, especially after Lance Stroll also retired a few laps earlier due to a suspected water pressure issue.
After the race, Alonso expressed his frustration. "In the end, we had to stop. We suspect an engine problem. We had a lack of speed on the straight; it was anomalous, and we have to study it," he told the media. He added that he saw no alarms in the cockpit but suddenly lost around 1.5 seconds per lap. "I didn't see any alarm. Everything was working fine, but I started losing a lot on the straight," he said.
On the other side, Honda's trackside general manager and chief engineer, Shintaro Orihara, insisted there was no problem with the engine. "In the data we have now, we have checked all the data; the engine is okay. We haven't found any issues in the data, but we will check carefully during the maintenance work, and also check the data back at the factory," Orihara explained. He added that they will inspect energy management and GPS data.
The discrepancy between Honda and Alonso comes at a crucial time for the Japanese power unit provider. Aston Martin had just completed their final chassis upgrade in Baku, which was supposed to be a strong indicator of how well the partnership with Honda is faring. The upgrade is part of a weight-saving programme to reduce lap times, but it heavily depends on Honda's power unit performance.
Orihara also revealed that in FP2, they found irregular signals in the oil system of the new engine. "Because of the new engine, we decided not to carry out the run plan to protect it. We did an inspection after the session, found the root cause, and replaced the part. Then, during FP3, qualifying and the race, we haven't seen any issues with the engine. So I believe the new engine is healthy," he stated.
Nevertheless, the poor performance in Azerbaijan is expected to force Aston Martin to reconsider their current agreement with Honda. Pressure is mounting as rival teams continue to improve. The failure in Baku could be a severe blow to team morale, especially with Alonso known for not holding back criticism when he feels wronged.
Going forward, Honda promises a thorough investigation. However, for Aston Martin, time is running out. They must find a solution quickly if they want to remain competitive for the rest of the season. Meanwhile, fans await whether this partnership will survive or end prematurely.
Read Also
Max Verstappen menolak balapan F1 di Timur Tengah karena perang, sementara Lewis Hamilton mendukung. Simak perbedaan sikap kedua juara dunia ini.
McLaren kalah cepat dari Mercedes di Baku karena tikungan lambat dan efisiensi aerodinamis. Simak analisis lengkapnya di sini.
Frederic Vasseur dikabarkan akan hengkang dari Ferrari akhir musim. Christian Horner masuk bursa pengganti, sementara insiden Colapinto memanas.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!