Fernando Alonso will take on his third Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) in as many races at this weekend's Australian Grand Prix. Alonso had already moved onto his second ICE in Saudi Arabia as a precaution, with Alpine identifying a sealing issue after the season opener in Bahrain, but that new unit hit trouble during the race and he was forced to retire. The team's post-race checks on the new engine determined a water pump-related cause that will eliminate it from Alonso's pool, meaning he will be running his third of three permitted units for the 2022 campaign in Melbourne.
Bad news and good news for Alonso
Asked by RacingNews365.com for an update on the situation, an Alpine spokesperson explained: "On inspection after the race, we discovered there was an issue with the water pump, which caused the engine to overheat. "Sadly, this engine cannot be used anymore this year due to the damage sustained." There is some good news for Alonso, however, with Alpine confirming that they plan to re-introduce his engine from Bahrain later in the year. Should Alonso need a fourth ICE this season (with 20 races set to follow), he will serve a 10-place grid penalty at the race weekend it is introduced.
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