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No new engine for Alonso in China

Fernando Alonso will not use another engine in China © Getty Images

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• Race:
• Chinese Grand Prix

• Championship:
• FIA Formula One World Championship

• Drivers:
• Fernando Alonso
• |
• Felipe Massa

• Teams:
• Ferrari

Fernando Alonso will not use a fourth fresh engine at this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix.

He used his third new V8 in Malaysia two weeks ago, when he retired from the race with engine failure, and it had been reported he would be halfway into his season's allocation ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.

Each driver may use only eight engines for the entire 19-race season, with grid penalties applying once a ninth is fitted. Alonso had his first V8 changed due to overheating after Bahrain qualifying, meaning that unit can only now be used in free practice sessions from now on.

The engine that completed the Bahrain race, however, can be used again for qualifying and grands prix, and Ferrari has confirmed that it is this one that will be fitted to Alonso's F10 in China. The same is also true for his team-mate Felipe Massa.

"As a precaution, we opted not to use the Bahrain race engines in Australia, but they will be used in China, having concluded that they are fit for purpose, despite what happened [the overheating] at the Sakhir circuit," Ferrari's engine and electronics chief Luca Marmorini said on Tuesday.

The Italian said Shanghai is not particularly hard on engines.

"I would describe it as medium load," confirmed Marmorini. "It features a very long straight, but nothing that causes any particular concern for the power unit and also, the ambient temperature is not usually very high, which makes life easier on the engine front."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.