McLaren Goes Through Engine Issues on First Morning on F1 Testing

Mar 02, 2017 06:10 AM EST | Joyce Vega

All F1 teams are trying out their cars after a rulebook overhaul produced new aerodynamic and fire regulations. All the designs have led to wider vehicles, which increase downforce and grip with a goal to produce higher speeds.

ESPN reported that McLaren is hoping to fix the car to allow it to run later in the day. It seems that the problem is located in a difficult access location, and it will require a number of hours to investigate and fix. Fernando Alonso had completed only one lap and had not set a time when the problem occurred. The cancellation of the FIA’s token upgrade system allowed more freedom for a change.

Honda took the opportunity and made some significant changes to its engine. There have been certain risks associated with the redesign, but now the engine has a much lower center of gravity and lighter weight as well as more power.

According to Stuff, McLaren wasn’t the only one that had engine problems on the first day of testing. Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo had problems as well. The new RB13 car grounded to a halt near Turn 4 because of a sensor issue.

On a more positive note, Valterri Bottas was better than the rest of the field with 79 laps during the morning session at the Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya. That total surpasses the 66 laps of the Spanish Grand Prix held at the same venue each season. He also owned the fastest time, but Ferrari’s driver Sebastian Vettel beat it by 0.378 seconds.

Bottas took over the driver’s seat at Mercedes from world champion Nico Rosberg, who retired in December just five days after winning the title. There will be a second round of testing from March 7-10 before the season starts at the Australian Grand Prix on March 26th.

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