Vienna, June 18 (IANS): McLaren's Fernando Alonso is set to suffer a grid penalty of around 20 places at this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix.
Engine supplier Honda will be making a number of changes which will take Alonso beyond his allowed limit of four for each part.
Alonso has been chosen to run the aerodynamic upgrade package McLaren has prepared for the race.
"Honda is making updates to Fernando's power unit which will be confirmed on Friday morning. As a result we are expecting grid penalties," a Honda spokeswoman was quoted as saying by bbc.com on Thursday.
F1 has a penalty system for when teams use more than the permitted four elements of the power unit.
Drivers are usually handed a 10-place penalty for the first time, and another five-place penalty if another change is made.
Honda has two or three changes in mind which can lead to a 15 or 20-place penalty.