Alonso and Stroll Both Handed Grid Penalties for Baku After Power Unit Changes
Both Aston Martin drivers will start Saturday's race from well down the field after the stewards confirmed grid penalties for power unit changes made ahead of FP1. Alonso's team brought in a fifth internal combustion engine, a fifth turbocharger and a ninth power unit ancillary component, while Stroll's car received a sixth turbocharger, a seventh energy store, a sixth control electronics unit and an eighth ancillary component.
Under the FIA's element-based penalty system, each additional part beyond a driver's allocation carries its own grid-place cost, and those costs stack. Alonso's two extra elements beyond his ICE allocation trigger a 10-place penalty apiece, with a third carrying a further 5, adding up to a 25-place drop. Stroll's four extra elements are each penalised at 5 places, totalling 20.
Both penalties apply to the next race the driver takes part in, which for this weekend is Saturday's Grand Prix. Provided each car is classified in qualifying, they'll still be given a grid slot under the FIA's rules before the penalty drops them back. Both Aston Martins look set to start from the rear of the field regardless of how qualifying goes.
The team already has a difficult inspection to work through as well after Friday's suspected oil leak on Alonso's car, so a Saturday spent recovering positions from the back looks to be the realistic target for both drivers rather than a clean shot at a stronger grid slot.