Share

McLaren to race new Honda engine in Austria

Cape Town - Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne will race the updated Honda 'Spec Three' at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Alonso trialled the new engine during Friday's practice in Azerbaijan with reports suggesting that the new spec is worth as much as 0.3 seconds per lap.

However, given that both drivers were facing grid penalties, McLaren and Honda opted to delay the engine's race debut until Austria.

Honda have now confirmed that both drivers will run the 'Spec Three' at the Red Bull Ring.

"At the previous round in Azerbaijan, we were able to bank our first points of the year and I think it brought some brightness into our team," Honda engine boss Yusuke Hasegawa said. 

"We also tested the updated PU, the Spec Three, with Fernando on Friday and we were able to confirm some progress in terms of the power output. We have proceeded with the mapping back at the factory utilising the data we collected, and we are going to bring the Spec Three for both drivers this weekend.

"I think we have some improvements in our competitiveness and I am looking forward to seeing our performance in Austria. We will not stop our preparation until the last minutes, and I hope we have a good race to reflect our progress."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
loading... Live
Dolphins 0
Warriors RSA 6/1
loading... Live
Pakistan 11/0
New Zealand 178/7
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
65% - 411 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
35% - 224 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE