0
Fernando Alonso was forced to retire from the Chinese Grand Prix prematurely due to severe vibrations in his Aston Martin. The Spaniard experienced such intense discomfort that he decided to park the car after 33 laps.
Extreme vibrations
The issues with the AMR26 are not new, as Honda had already detected vibrations during winter testing. During the race in Shanghai, onboard footage showed Alonso repeatedly taking his hands off the steering wheel to regain feeling in his fingers.
Alonso on Honda criticism: "I seemed crazy ten years ago"
Alonso expects Aston Martin to lead with Newey despite slow start
“The vibrations were extreme today,” Alonso declared after his retirement. “At one point, somewhere between lap twenty and thirty-five, I even started to lose the feeling in my hands and feet.” Given they were already a lap down at the back of the field, Alonso felt there was no use in continuing.
Search for a solution
Aston Martin confirmed the retirement was due to the discomfort caused by the vibrations. Trackside chief Mike Krack emphasized that the problem is currently one of reliability rather than a massive loss of performance. Alonso hopes the extra time before the Japan Grand Prix will allow Honda to find a solution on the test bench, as the engines were practically identical between Australia and China.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
I. Hadjar
A. Antonelli
C. Leclerc
78 members have this team as their favourite
Replies (0)
Login to reply