Honda's Formula 1 engine development token spend reduced by FIA

Honda's Malaysian Grand Prix engine update required fewer Formula 1 development tokens than the Japanese firm thought, the FIA has ruled

McLaren's engine partner applied to spend one development token on the engine block and one on a new lightweight exhaust, which only Fernando Alonso ran during Friday practice at Sepang last week.

But the FIA believed the engine block changes were for reliability purposes so informed Honda it may not be required to spend a token for the upgrade.

There were further discussions between the two parties in the days before the Japanese GP this weekend.

Those culminated in the FIA requesting that Honda resubmitted the document for the engine block change, citing that it was for reliability.

The paperwork was completed on Thursday at Suzuka and officially confirmed by the FIA on Friday.

Honda now has two tokens remaining but has no plans to use them in the remaining four races.

Providing everything runs smoothly during the Japanese GP weekend, it plans to fit the new engine block to Jenson Button's car for the first time in the United States, which will incur a grid penalty.

Meanwhile, Honda is investigating damage to Alonso's exhaust that was sustained during Friday practice.

The Japanese manufacturer is unsure what caused the damage, though it is likely to have been incurred when he hit the barriers early in the session.

TOKEN SPEND SO FAR

Ferrari 32, 0 remaining
Honda 30, 2 remaining
Mercedes 26, 6 remaining
Renault 14, 18 remaining