Alpine performs tactical engine change for Alonso, must start from the back

The Spanish Grand Prix was supposed to be Fernando Alonso 's race. The Spaniard last won the race here as a Spanish driver in Barcelona and this year there were some expectations for the former Alpine world champion. Qualifying, however, could not have gone worse. He finished seventeenth and is thus condemned to an overtaking action. An overtaking action that becomes even bigger, because he now also gets a grid penalty on his pants.

Not for an incident on the track, but because of the replacement of his entire engine. Alpine does this strategically, because there is not that much difference between the seventeenth and twentieth place anyway. In total, the following parts are replaced for the fourth time:

- Internal Combustion Engine (ICE)
- Turbocharger (TC)
- Motor Generator Unit-Heat (MGU-H)
- Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic (MGU-K).

According to the rules, these parts can be replaced a maximum of three times this season and so Alpine has now gone over that limit. In addition, Alonso will receive a new Energy Store (ES) and new Control Electronics (CE). These parts will be replaced for the third time, where according to the rules you are allowed to replace these parts a maximum of two times.

No big change on starting grid

So a big grid penalty, although in practice it is only three spots further back than planned. The seventeenth spot becomes a twentieth spot, so Nicholas Latifi, Alexander Albon and Lance Stroll all move up a spot to the front.