McLaren face another grid penalty

21 August 2015 03:02

McLaren's dreadful season took another twist on Friday after Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso were hit with a combined 55-place grid penalty for the Belgian Grand Prix.

Both drivers were deemed to be in breach of Article 28.4 (a) after Alonso and Button took on a seventh Honda engine of the season on Formula One's return to action in Spa-Francorchamps after a four-week break.

Button will take a 25-place grid drop, 10 for a new turbocharger, and five apiece for a replacement MGU-H, MGU-K and Internal Combustion Engine (ICE).

Alonso, who finished fifth last time out in Hungary, will serve an extra five places for further changes his power unit.

It is the second hefty grid penalty of the season for the beleaguered British team after they were penalised an accumulative 50 places at the Austrian Grand Prix.

But a new ruling means neither Alonso or Button will serve subsequent penalties in Sunday's race. Instead, with only 20 cars entered for the race, they will simply start from the back of the grid.

McLaren have brought a new-specification Honda power unit to Belgium, but it has failed to have the desired effect so far.

Button and Alonso were quicker only than the Manor pair of Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi in Friday's second practice session. They were only 17th and 18th respectively.

Source: PA