01/07/2018
NEWS STORY
Fernando Alonso will start today's Austrian Grand Prix from the pitlane after McLaren opted to change his front wing.
The Spaniard qualified fourteenth, two places ahead of teammate Stoffel Vandoorne, but was promoted to thirteenth following the 5-place grid penalty meted out to Charles Leclerc for a change of gearbox.
Overnight however, McLaren opted to change the front wing on the McLaren, almost certainly following damage incurred by running over the notorious kerbs, as well as the pitot static tube.
The Spaniard subsequently admitted than in his bid to improve in Q2, he took the final corners 'flat-out'.
"On my final lap, I was two tenths slower than on my previous lap," he said, "so for the final two corners, I said to myself, 'let's try and do this flat out, in case I can recover those tenths' but that was over the limit..."
As the parts are different from the ones originally used, Alonso is required to start from the pit lane according to Article 34.6 of the Sporting Regulations.
Another driver to take a hit is Brendon Hartley, who for the second weekend running has taken a full 35-place hit as the power unit and all its components were changed on his Toro Rosso.
Anyone else get the feeling that the kiwi is fast becoming a guinea pig?
Check out our Sunday gallery from Spielberg, here.