Fernando Alonso will start his \u2018last\u2019 Formula 1 race in Barcelona from the pit lane after Aston Martin made changes to his car.<\/p>\n
The local hero was poised to line up last after a difficult qualifying session but a power unit change under parc ferme conditions means he\u2019ll be absent from the Barcelona GP starting grid.<\/p>\n
Aston Martin changes force Fernando Alonso to start from pit lane in Barcelona<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n Both Alonso and Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll struggled through qualifying, with both drivers more than a second slower than Valtteri Bottas\u2019 Cadillac.<\/p>\n The team subsequently confirmed it had replaced the energy store and MGU-K on Alonso\u2019s car, necessitating a pit lane start.<\/p>\n \u201cFernando will start today\u2019s race from the pit lane due to a change of ESME and MGU-K,\u201d the team announced in a statement issued to PlanetF1.com.<\/p>\n The control electronics unit has also been replaced.<\/p>\n Alonso has now used four of each element this season, exceeding his allocation which would typically come with a rear-of-grid penalty for the cumulative grid drops.<\/p>\n However, as the changes were made in parc ferme without permission, Alonso is instead required to start from the pit lane.<\/p>\n It is unlikely to have any meaningful impact on the veteran\u2019s prospects given where Aston Martin\u2019s pace has been throughout the weekend.<\/p>\n More on Fernando Alonso<\/p>\n Fernando Alonso reveals Barcelona memory he will \u2018remember as number one\u2019<\/a> Barcelona has been a benchmark circuit of sorts for teams due to the mix of corners types and long straights.<\/p>\n Alonso\u2019s candid qualifying remarks highlighted the scale of the problem, with the two-time World Champion making clear he had arrived at the circuit expecting to be among the slowest cars on the grid.<\/p>\n Speaking after qualifying, Alonso lamented the performance of his Aston Martin<\/a>, branding it the \u201cworst car and worst engine\u201d on the grid.<\/p>\n \u201cI came here knowing that we are the last, and we are the last,\u201d Alonso told PlanetF1.com and other accredited media.<\/p>\n \u201cNo surprises there.\u201d<\/p>\n While the new power unit elements may provide some benefit, they offer little consolation heading into a race where Aston Martin is expected to struggle for pace.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n
Fernando Alonso tipped for stunning Alpine return in final F1 contract twist<\/a><\/p>\n