Honda pledges to investigate Alonso’s turbo after engineer says it was not broken

Honda has pledged to investigate the engine issue Fernando Alonso reported at the Singapore Grand Prix, with the root cause to be examined before Formula 1 returns to the United States.

After qualifying at Marina Bay, Alonso reported that the turbo he had used in the session was “broken” and required a change. He was due to take a grid penalty for a fresh unit; the change was made for the Grand Prix, where he finished outside the points.

At a media briefing with team representative Mike Krack, Honda chief trackside engineer Shintaro Orihara said the turbo was not broken. Honda had changed components based on Alonso’s feedback, he said. Orihara added that the data had shown no major issues so far, but “the driver is the best sensor”.

Orihara said Honda had gathered data during the race and from qualifying runs with other components, and would take it to the factory for a detailed check. He said the two weeks before F1’s return to the United States would give the team time to ensure its components were working correctly. Honda still needed to fine-tune drivability and boost, he added.

Honda had recently introduced its second ADUO-boosted engine, deploying a new turbo for Lance Stroll in Spain and then Alonso in Azerbaijan as it tried to address drivability problems it had faced all season.