Ongoing Honda problems ’incredible’ - Alonso

Fernando Alonso has described Honda’s ongoing problems in 2017 as "incredible".

Actually, McLaren headed into Sochi with confidence, after an update appeared to have transformed the reliability of Honda’s struggling power unit at the post-Bahrain GP test.

But Stoffel Vandoorne then struck more trouble in practice for the Russian grand prix.

"He has had engine problems and I think has to be penalised," Alonso is quoted by Spanish media in Sochi.

"It is incredible that it happens in the fourth race. We’ve had a lot of failures and having them in practice does not give you great confidence," he added.

"The car is as it was in Bahrain, so if we had problems in the first three races, we will have them here, in Barcelona, in Monaco," Alonso said.

"I don’t think we have anything (new) until Canada. For McLaren, we are going to bring aerodynamic improvements in every race, and in Canada we hope that something comes from Honda that gets us at least in the fight."

As for the fact that having already run through his allocation of four engines for the year means he goes to the back of the Sochi grid, Vandoorne said: "I knew it would happen eventually.

"So given the position we are in, I don’t think it changes much."