Alonso does six laps before a wheel comes off
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[February 26, 2018]
By Alan Baldwin
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Fernando Alonso
did six laps of the Barcelona circuit before crashing into the
gravel after a wheel came off his McLaren at the start of Formula
One's pre-season testing on Monday.
The former world champions, who are starting a new engine
partnership with Renault after three troubled years with Honda,
played down the incident.
"We had a wheel-nut issue, we'll get back out here this afternoon,"
executive director Zak Brown told reporters at the Circuit de
Catalunya.
"We're fine. It's what testing is for. All the teams will have a
variety of issues throughout testing, that's exactly what it's for,"
the American added. "We're going to lose very little time, no big
deal at all."
The right rear wheel came off Alonso's car during the first 40
minutes of a chilly morning in Spain as teams took part in their
first official test since November.
The double world champion, who gave the new papaya orange and blue
car a trouble-free shakedown at the Navarra circuit in northern
Spain on Friday, stepped out of the stranded car as marshals waved
red flags to halt the session.
The Spaniard inspected the damage closely before the car was loaded
on to a truck and taken back to the pits. The track action then
re-started.
"There is no drama in the garage. Everyone is quite relaxed, getting
on with it and it is quite an easy fix," said Brown, who had said
last week that he expected all eyes to be on McLaren this season.
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F1 Formula One - Formula One Test Session - Circuit de Barcelona
Catalunya, Montmelo, Spain - February 26, 2018 Fernando Alonso of
McLaren during testing REUTERS/Albert Gea
"This team is used to public pressure and having eyes on us," he
added.
"We enjoy that and we like to step up to the plate and thrive on the
opportunity so we are not feeling any added pressure that we don't
already put on ourselves."
Monday's test comes a year after a nightmare start for McLaren, with
Alonso managing only one lap before lunch after multiple engine
failures.
That set the tone for a dismal season that ended with the sport's
second most successful team languishing in ninth place overall.
The season starts in Australia on March 25, with McLaren seeking
their first win since 2012.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ed Osmond)
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