---
title: "Both McLaren drivers to receive upgraded Honda engine in Austria"
canonical: "https://readmotorsport.com/2017/07/03/mclaren-drivers-receive-upgraded-honda-engine-austria/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Josh Suttill"
section: "F1 News"
published: "2017-07-03T19:13:24Z"
modified: "2017-07-03T19:13:24Z"
---

# Both McLaren drivers to receive upgraded Honda engine in Austria

Both McLaren drivers will receive Honda’s ‘spec 3’ engine for this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, after a successful test run in Baku.

Fernando Alonso trialled Honda’s upgraded power unit on the Friday of the Azerbaijan weekend. His progress, which had shown promising signs, was cut short when a gearbox failure prematurely ended the Spaniard’s session.

The team reverted back to the old power unit for the rest of the weekend due to Alonso suffering from multiple grid penalties and not having access to the full power of the upgraded engine.

Despite running the old engine, Alonso managed to bring home McLaren’s first points of 2017 with a ninth place finish in Baku.

“At the previous round in Azerbaijan, we were able to bank our first points of the year and I think it brought some brightness into our team,” said Honda’s F1 chief Yusuke Hasegawa.

“We also tested the updated PU, the Spec 3, with Fernando on Friday and we were able to confirm some progress in terms of the power output.

“We have proceeded with the mapping back at the factory utilising the data we collected, and we are going to bring the Spec 3 for both drivers this weekend.

“I think we have some improvements in our competitiveness and I am looking forward to seeing our performance in Austria.”

![Dan Istitene/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2017/07/800735142.jpg)

McLaren racing director Eric Bouiller hopes the upgraded Honda engine and chassis improvements will move McLaren firmly into the midfield fight.

“There’s been no let-up in our development push all season, and, while the result in Azerbaijan was nothing to truly celebrate,” said Bouiller.

“It was a sign that we are working well and able to capitalise whenever an opportunity presents itself.

“With a number of improvements planned for the Austrian weekend, not least the proposed new Spec 3 power unit upgrade from Honda, I’m hopeful that we’ll be in a position to get amid the other midfield runners and take a useful step forwards.”