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F1's Fernando Alonso gets 35-place penalty for latest Honda engine change

MONZA, Italy — McLaren's Fernando Alonso will collect a 35-place grid penalty for Sunday's Italian Grand Prix after Honda announced changes to his car's power unit. The penalty means the double world champion, whose future at McLaren remains uncertain due to the team's continuing engine woes, will start at the back of the 20-car grid for the last European race of the season. His chances were limited anyway at Monza's 'Temple of Speed,' the fastest circuit on the calendar where engine performance is crucial. His Belgian teammate Stoffel Vandoorne suffered a similar fate when he was handed a 65-place penalty for his home race at Spa-Francorchamps last weekend. Such meaningless penalties incurred through no fault of the driver have come increasingly under scrutiny in Formula One with some saying the system has got out of control and must change. "I hate the fact that we're having to affect the racing because of the technical issues," Formula One managing director Ross Brawn, a title-winning former team principal and ex-Ferrari technical director, told motorsport.com. "I know you can say if a car breaks down in a race that's a technical issue and you've affected the race, but I think the fans understand that. "For a fan to stomach that his hero is on the back of the grid because he had to change the engine, that's not great sport," added the Briton. Brawn suggested a different form of penalty, or removing it altogether, but acknowledged that the sport might have to wait until 2021 when new engine regulations will come into force. The current Formula One regulations stipulate that each driver may use no more than four power units during a championship season, with that number due to be reduced to three next year. Each power unit is made up of six separate elements; the engine, the motor generator unit-kinetic (MGU-K), the motor generator unit-heat (MGU-H), the energy store, turbocharger and control electronics. Grid penalties are imposed if a driver uses more than four of any one of the elements during the course of a season, and for successive breaches. Honda said Alonso was now on his seventh engine and MGU-K, his ninth turbocharger and MGU-H, his sixth energy store and fifth control electronics. Alonso retired from the Belgian Grand Prix but some components of the power unit used there will be run again in Friday's second practice after Honda said they could find no obvious problem.

Seat Toledo leaks out ahead of Paris reveal

A concept version of the Seat Toledo was shown off at the Geneva Motor Show earllier this year, but it was clear that the concept was code for "almost identical to production." Four images of what appears to be the final version of the Toledo have dripped onto the Internet, and sure enough, the only exterior difference we can spot is that the mirrors now have body-colored uppers.
As a reminder, although it looks like a three-box sedan, it is still a five-door hatchback with a 17.6 cubic-foot boot capacity (slightly less than a Ford Mondeo) and slotted between the C- and D-segments in size. Engines are expected to be those also going in the Škoda MissionL concept, which will be the Škoda Rapid in production form and is the Toledo's sister car in the Volkswagen Group herd.
Price will be the Toledo's strong point, with Geneva-era rumors of a base price at €13,000 to €14,000 (around $16,300-$17,600 USD). In keeping with such frugality, engines are predicted to be of small-displacement and lowly horsepower in both petrol and diesel forms. After it debuts at the Paris Motor Show, along with the new Seat Ibiza and the Rapid, the Toledo should be in dealerships shortly thereafter.

A lighter, faster long-tail version of the McLaren 720S is on the way

The latest and greatest from Woking has barely broken cover, but McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt has confirmed to Car and Driver that there will be an even faster LT version sometime in the future. Flewitt said that the 675LT, a variant of the 650S, was so successful that it makes perfect sense to create a follow up. This will be great news for those McLaren enthusiasts that may be tempted to jump ship for the obscenely fast Lamborghini Huracan Performante that debuted in Geneva alongside the 720S. Flewitt said there was a great deal of both internal and external enthusiasm surrounding the 675LT. Expect the new version to be a lot like the 675LT: lighter, sharper, and more powerful, with some mild styling changes but not a completely overhauled design. The twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter in the McLaren already makes 710 horsepower and 568 lb-ft of torque. Remember, that's just the baseline. A mild bump in output is assured. No word on when the car may debut, but don't look for it anytime soon. McLaren most likely wants to give the 720S a bit of breathing room before it introduces a new model. Flewitt also suggested that an LT version of the 570S isn't off the table. As long as it's lighter, faster, and more powerful, we won't complain. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Car and Driver McLaren Lightweight Vehicles Performance Supercars mclaren 720s mclaren 675lt