Alpine have opted for caution on Fernando Alonso's side of the garage for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend, and have fitted the Spaniard's car out with a fresh engine for the second race of the season. However, Alonso will not serve a grid penalty as a result of the change. The engine rules have changed for 2022, with drivers now only permitted three Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) for the entirety of the season. Alonso is thus moving onto his second engine of the season, but the team have explained that the first engine will, hopefully, be returned to his pool.
A sealing issue is spotted after Bahrain
Alonso finished ninth at the season opener in Bahrain, but an issue with the engine was discovered after the race. "After the Bahrain Grand Prix, we identified a suspected sealing issue with the power unit in Fernando’s car," a short statement from the team read. "As a precaution, the ICE has been changed for the Saudi GP and the Bahrain unit sent back to Viry (Chatillon, Renault's engine facility) for further analysis. "It will be put back into the engine pool for later season use. Fernando won't take a penalty this weekend and Esteban [Ocon's] ICE was entirely unaffected by this matter." Should Alonso eventually need a fourth ICE later in the season, he will serve a 10-place grid penalty at the race weekend in which it is introduced.
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