Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso are facing yet more grid penalties, with Honda planning to use their ninth engine of the season already – according to Autosport.com.
The Italian Grand Prix at Monza is the 12th race on the calendar, meaning Honda have used almost as many engines as there have been races.
Luckily for Button and Alonso, the grid penalties barely affect them, as more often than not is it only pushing them below the Manors of Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi, who regularly occupy the last two slots on the grid.
At Spa-Francorchamps, McLaren were hit with a ridiculous record grid penalty of 105 places. Button was hit with a 50 place drop, with Spanish team-mate Alonso dropping 55. Both drivers dropped back two places and were punished no further.
This weekend’s penalty, with Honda not completing a double engine change – as they did in Belgium – but the McLarens are still likely to start from 19th and 20th on the grid.
The chances of McLaren scoring points at Monza, where sheer power and speed is so important, is very unlikely with the struggling Honda engine.
They may, however, have a better chance of adding to their total of 17 constructors world championship points at the next race, the slightly more unpredictable Singapore.
