Double punishment for Fernando Alonso for the Honda engine: “It is very difficult, because we are very tight on engine cooling. And in the race, from so far back, cooling is even more complicated”
The blow was tremendous. It is not surprising that Fernando Alonsowhen his team asked him to stop the car in qualifying due to an engine problem, moved his hands in a clear gesture of anger. Nor, that he held his tongue in front of the official F1 television, enduring the downpour answering with monosyllables, revealing that he had an engine problem (another one), that in Mexico they had lost a great opportunity and that, in the race, making a comeback was impossible. “Not this far back.”
Then, before the written press, as ‘The Race’ published, spoke of “unimaginable frustration”, because it was a lot closer to Q3 than in other events, although he was aware that his natural position was 12th or 13th. From there he wanted to go for the points in the race, taking advantage of the good degradation of his car. But that whole plan went up in smoke due to a setback that Pedro de la Rosa revealed that it occurred in the ERS (Energy Recovery System), that is, in the electrical system of the power unit.
Previously, Fernando had set an encouraging time on his first attempt. With the track very dirty, on the first lap, he distanced himself by four tenths and a half seconds from the cars in the middle zone with whom he would have to fight later. That demonstrated the good performance of the car and Fernando’s chameleon-like ability to adapt. before complicated track conditions. But all that came to nothing.
And as he revealed Pedro de la Rosa, that can only be a first problem that leads to another one in the race. That is, a double punishment. And leaving 18º, it increases the doubt whether or not Fernando Alonso can finish the race. All due to engine cooling.
When you start so far back, with so many cars in front and so much dirty air, cooling is even more complicated. Classifying poorly here still penalizes you more
In Mexico, at an altitude of 2,200 meters, the air is 25% less dense, and that means the turbo has to work faster. The engine gets hotter, it is more complicated to cool it, and leaving from behind, among many cars, with a lot of dirty air, cooling is even more complicated for an engine that is already in a critical situation in this regard.
“Tomorrow will be very difficult, very difficult, because we are very tight on engine cooling”warned Pedro de la Rosa, Aston Martin ambassador, on ‘DAZN’.
“And when you start so far back, with so many cars in front and so much dirty air, cooling is even more complicated. Classifying poorly here still penalizes you more. The problem with cooling here is that it doesn’t allow you to go very close to the car in front. And overtaking like this is more complicated. You overtake only if you are close, but if you can’t get closer…”, he added.
The problem with cooling here is that it does not allow you to ride very close to the car in front. And overtaking like this is more complicated. You overtake only if you are close, but if you can’t get closer…
“Both are a problem in the ERS (Energy Recovery System) system, and that encompasses everything from the battery to the electric motor, a bit of the entire electrical system”said about the failure that stopped Alonso in qualifying and the breakdown that Crawford suffered in FP1 with Stroll’s car in Free Practice 1.
“In the case of Fernando’s car, we don’t know what it is yet. In the case of Lance’s car, it was a problem with the battery. And that’s where the classification ended. Fernando had done a spectacular first lap, a 1’18″9 on a dirty circuitin a first lap of Q1, it is really a great time. It had boosted our morale even more. We were levitating a little in the cabin. But then this problem and having to park the car at any point made it clear that it was dangerous,” commented De la Rosa.
Fernando had done a spectacular first lap, on a dirty circuit, in a first lap of Q1, really a great time. It had boosted our morale even more. We were levitating a little in the cabin. But then came the problem
“When they don’t let you go to the pit lane you know that there is a serious problem and that is why he made the jump (he got out of the car by jumping, something that is done for safety when there is an electrical problem) and then the mechanics touched the car with rubber gloves. The car is sealed and until they know exactly what it is and until Honda can tell the mechanics what they can do, it cannot be touched,” the Catalan said after qualifying.
Enough batteries? It is not a priori the issue that concerns us the most. What may be more worrying is that we have had two problems related to the ERS, that a problem that we thought we had under control has been reproduced.
And he clarified that, if he had reached the pits, he could not have returned to the track in qualifying either.
“It wouldn’t have worked either. If the problem with Fernando’s car is the same as Lance’s, it requires a battery change and you need at least an hour of work to remove the bottom, remove the battery and put in a new one,” he noted.
“Are there enough batteries? It is not a priori the issue that worries us the most. What may worry us more is that we have had two problems related to the ERS, that a problem that we thought we had under control has reproduced,” he added.
Q3 was very difficult. But what I can say is that Fernando could have gone to Q2 and who knows if Q3. What I can say is that we were better than we expected.
“Q3 was very difficult. But what I can say is that Fernando could have gone to Q2 and who knows if Q3. What I can say is that we were better than we expected. It is a circuit that, due to its type of configuration, where there are few straights, with a lot of slow corners, which is where our car really goes well, especially the last sector, where Fernando has been competitive throughout the weekend, gave us a little hope,” he recalled about the lost opportunity in Mexico.
