Hasegawa: Software problem cost Alonso’s GP

Editor

McLaren-Honda chief Yusuke Hasegawa has confirmed that driver Fernando Alonso suffered a software command problem that caused his engine to cut power.

Qualifying in Q3 for the first time this year, Alonso failed to overtake his teammate Jenson Button after the Brit pipped him in Lap 1 at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Later in the race, Alonso was forced to retire after reporting on the team radio that he had lost power, with the Spaniard running in 12th at the time.

“I’m not sure the exact cause but a software command issue happened and it stopped the engine,” Hasegawa told Autosport.

“The engine itself is fine, we can even use it for Monaco.

“It stopped on the circuit so we need to check if that created any damage because of the high temperatures.”

Alonso also added that the team knew about the issues before he retired.

“A couple of laps before we stopped there were some sensors failing and I had some message from the team on the pit wall and we were managing the problem somehow but in the end it wasn’t foreseeable anymore,” he said.