McLaren to test new gearbox solution after Singapore issues

Neither Jenson Button nor Fernando Alonso made it to the chequered flag at the Marina Bay circuit as the team lost one of its best opportunities for a decent points haul.

Having looked into what happened, McLaren has come up with some tweaks that it hopes will ensure there is no repeat in the future.

Alonso said: "We need to learn lessons from everything we do.

"Last week in Singapore we have two retirements because the gearbox overheated. So we studied, we went deep into the problems, we make solutions and we test those solutions tomorrow in free practice. It is the only thing we can do.

"If we arrive at our home GP with a more or less competitive car it is out of our hands at the moment."

Best chance gone

The power demands of Suzuka will make it hard for McLaren to shine, with Alonso convinced that while things will not be as bad as Spa and Monza, the best chances for his team have also gone.

"I think we need to wait and see how the track will suit our car, but I guess it will be something in the middle," he said.

"Not as bad as Monza and Belgium and not as good as Singapore, which after Monaco and Hungary was the third best circuit for us.

"In the remaining circuits we will be unlikely to see the performance we saw in Singapore from us. But hopefully we can have a chance to score points and be close to the Q3 spot sometimes."