The technical director said that the problem is generated by the power unit and could endanger the nerves of Alonso and Stroll’s hands. “We will have to limit their number of race laps until we solve the problem”
The problem seems to be more serious than expected. On the eve of the seasonal debut in Melbourne, the ambitious Aston Martin-Honda project finds itself facing a crisis that calls into question the very participation of the drivers in the entire duration of the race. Technical director Adrian Newey has raised a disturbing alarm: the extreme vibrations generated by the new Honda power unit could cause permanent damage to the nerves in the hands of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
critical situation
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As revealed by Newey today in Melbourne, the vibrations are transmitted from the engine to the chassis and reach the riders directly through the steering. The situation is so critical that safety limits have already been set: Alonso believes he cannot complete more than 25 consecutive laps, while for Stroll the safety threshold drops to just 15 laps. “We will have to severely limit the number of laps in the race until we have resolved the problem at the source,” said Newey, underlining that safety comes before performance.
structural failures
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And the problems don’t stop with the health of the pilots. The vibrations would be so intense that they would cause structural failure, with mirrors and rear lights detaching from the car while driving. Although Honda has introduced countermeasures to protect the hybrid system battery, the vibrations continue to spread to the rest of the car. Alonso admitted his hands and feet felt “numb” after a few laps, although he declared himself ready to brave the pain if victory was at stake. “It’s not painful and it’s not complicated to control the car – said the two-time world champion – the adrenaline is always much stronger than any pain. If we were fighting for the victory, we could stay in the car for three hours”, he said.
performance problem
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To complicate the picture, there is a serious lack of performance: the Honda engine would have a deficit of around 67 HP in the electrical part compared to its competitors, triggering what Newey defines as a “negative spiral” in the exploitation of energy. With aerodynamic development at least four months behind schedule, Aston Martin finds itself fifth on the grid and with the nightmare of having to withdraw its cars from the Australian GP to avoid physical damage to its drivers.
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