Alonso has ‘burned’ three engines
The Ferrari engine is causing more headaches than expected at the start of the championship. In the offseason it was feared that the consumption would be the Achilles Heel of the propeller, but in the end are other faults that are sowing of concern to the team. We have three races and both Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa have already had to use three different engines. And what is worse, after the failure of Sunday in the case of Spanish, you must use the room at the next meeting of China.
The problem is not minor, since the regulation allows eight engine changes during the season, and if there is one more change is penalized with ten places on the grid. And from then on as many times as they occur. In Shanghai, Alonso and take four tests in the absence of fifteen. The average is worrying. The engines are changed, if you manage, you can still be used for free practice, which limits the mileage of new but not entirely prevent its use.
In all cases, Ferrari has had to change the unit as a precaution. From the first time in Bahrain, the substitutions have been motivated by sensors and telemetry results that have advised. Most worrisome is that in Kuala Lumpur has happened twice.
A Fernando already changed the engine after free practice on Friday and the race yesterday substitute melted. Two in the same test. Three if you count Felipe Massa. also after practice Friday, and five if we add the two of Sauber, which prevented out to Pedro de la Rosa and end at Kamui Kobayashi. A bad mark for the propeller.
Ferrari kept secret on grounds of being the only team which has already been three changes and goes for four. Mercedes and McLaren have two with the same engine in both cars, the same as Sebastian Vettel in his Renault by just one of Mark Webber. Neither the new Cosworth, serving the four teams in addition to Williams debutantes show many signs of weakness.
Cooling problems, extra consumption, lower reliability … various theories circulating, but the Italian team would not confirm any. Although not hide his concern: “We had a couple of reliability issues that should serve as a warning. If we want to claim the title must fix this,” Stefano Domenicali said yesterday, responsible for the Scuderia.