Alonso to Get Engine Boost for Home GP

Fernando Alonso has been handed a boost in his hopes of maintaining his current domination of Formula One, with his Renault team confirming that he will be allowed to use their latest B-spec engine for his home grand prix next month

The updated power-unit performed flawlessly in the hands of Giancarlo Fisichella at Imola, before his retirement, and the team have decided to allow both drivers to use the engine for the Spanish Grand Prix on May 8.

Renault's engine technical director Rob White said: "We were pleased to have been able to introduce the B-spec engine early after a great effort from all the team to approve and build a unit for Giancarlo in time for Imola.

"The weekend was incident free for the unit, although Fisico's race was of course marred by other troubles; we are looking forward to seeing both drivers get their hands on the new specification in Barcelona and having the opportunity to show its full potential."

Alonso's victory in Imola marked the first time in modern F1 that an engine had won two consecutive Grands Prix - although White admits that concerns about reliability meant it was a far from straightforward race for the team.

"As we have said before, running an F1 engine for two consecutive weekends is a considerable challenge, and one we managed to meet in Imola," he explained. "We assessed the risks involved for Fernando's engine through the weekend, established a plan for how to run, and then stuck to it.

"We knew how we needed to use the engine, and Fernando and the engineers did a fantastic job to win the race while controlling any potential problems. The management of the two weekend engine cycle is still very much a learning process, and it is pleasing to have anticipated and implemented the correct solutions."