Fernando Alonso will start the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix from the pit lane after Aston Martin opted to change power unit components in the back of his AMR26.
The two-time grand prix winner qualified P22 and last for his home F1 race, and was outqualified by Lance Stroll in a grand prix grid-setting session for the first time since the British Grand Prix in 2024, ending a 42-round run.
As a result of that, the Spanish driver essentially had a free hit to accrue grid penalties from the back of the field, making the late change to the starting grid not unexpected.
Specifically, Aston Martin has swapped in a fourth MGU-K, energy store, and control electronics to Alonso’s car, with only three of each permitted across the campaign.
The rest of the grid currently remains unchanged from qualifying.
NOTE: Grid remains provisional until officially confirmed by the FIA.