Alonso on Spa energy management dilemma
Fernando Alonso says teams face a major energy management dilemma at Spa-Francorchamps because the Belgian Grand Prix track is “very thirsty” and using battery deployment on one straight can leave a lap “finito”. Fernando Alonso said: "You cannot deploy in all the straights. Next week, it is going to be the same thing. If you deploy in Spa from Turn 1 (La Source) to 5 (Les Combes), it is finito for the rest of the lap. So, you need to save a little bit there to have deployment from Turn 14 (Stavelot) to the Bus Stop chicane. But if you deploy in those two straights, which is the optimal deployment, then there is one minute, sector two, with no deployment at all."
Fernando Alonso warns of 'finito' dilemma facing F1 teams at Belgian GP
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McLaren will run Mercedes’ latest-specification F1 power unit on both cars for the first time at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, two races after it debuted on the works Mercedes in Austria. The team delayed the change because it still had mileage to use on its existing engines after cycling through components amid 2026 reliability problems. McLaren will also introduce a new rear wing at Spa, with technical director Neil Houldey saying it will be “tested and evaluated in Friday’s practice sessions” but warning that “we won’t be expecting any big change in terms of competitiveness.”
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Wolff on Mercedes reliability and avoiding dropped points
Toto Wolff says Mercedes must “execute cleanly” and stop leaving points “on the table” after reliability issues cost the team in recent races, ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. Wolff said: "Our aim is to execute cleanly, deliver the reliability we need, and convert the performance of the car into the points it is capable of scoring. We have left too much on the table recently. We need to make sure that doesn't happen again starting this weekend."
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Colapinto on F1 returning to Buenos Aires
Franco Colapinto says Formula 1 should return to the Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez in Buenos Aires and believes Argentina could deliver a “record-breaking” crowd if it does, with renovations under way at the circuit. Colapinto said: "The fans are amazing; they are very passionate, extremely passionate, and I think will be a very solid race for F1 to go to at some point, probably some records in terms of people going there. The way the fans support the drivers or the teams would be something that has never seen before."
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Stella on McLaren's own problems
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella brushed off a question about what he would do in Laurent Mekies’ position at Red Bull, saying he is focused on fixing McLaren’s own problems. Stella said he has “enough to do at McLaren to gain half a second” and highlighted reliability issues “in the power unit area” and “in the chassis area”, as well as operational errors such as believing Oscar Piastri should have been pitted a lap earlier at the British Grand Prix. He added that Mekies is “very capable” and “very competent”.
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Orihara on Spa as a power unit deployment and reliability test
Honda trackside general manager and chief engineer Shintaro Orihara said Spa-Francorchamps will be a key test of energy deployment and reliability as Honda and Aston Martin look to learn as much as possible from their current power unit specification before introducing a new internal combustion engine after the summer break. Orihara said: "It will be a test for manufacturers in terms of energy management, so we need to consider how we will deploy MGU-K power on the long straights. The harvesting here is quite limited, even considering the circuit length. This puts more emphasis on getting the deployment plan right. The straights are also a demand on the power unit in general, not only for performance but also for reliability."
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