General

McLaren has to wait for analysis of Renault power unit

McLaren has to wait for analysis of Renault power unit

31-08-2020 15:32 Last update: 16:28

GPblog.com

At McLaren they don't know yet what exactly happened to Carlos Sainz' engine. Further research will reveal this in the next few days. Renault's power unit did not do what it was supposed to do on Sunday and therefore the Spaniard didn't start the Belgian Grand Prix.

The problem with the power unit caused a defect at the exhaust. As a result, Sainz could not start at Spa-Francorchamps. "We need to wait for the analysis on the Renault side on the specific issue," says Andreas Seidl to Autosport.com. The team boss tells that the rear and exhaust of the MCL35 were damaged.

Can Renault engine be reused?

Last year Sainz also dropped out after a lap with engine problems in the Ardennes. "Obviously that is disappointing for Carlos, for us, not being able to even start the race," the German chief continues. "But it is what it is and we must wait for the analysis, also in terms of the consequences to see if there is any chance to recover this power unit or if it is a terminal failure."

Sainz could have scored a lot of points from a seventh position at the start of the World Cup. For now, 25-year-old Madrileen stands eighth with 23 points. Teammate Lando Norris has almost double the number of points with 45.