A major technical issue has emerged at Aston Martin F1 Team ahead of the new Formula One season.
Team principal Adrian Newey revealed that severe vibrations from the team’s Honda engine could risk permanent nerve damage to drivers during races.
The problem became clear during pre-season testing. Aston Martin completed the lowest mileage of any team because of the vibration issues.
Newey explained that the vibrations travel through the car’s chassis and into the steering wheel. As a result, drivers feel the impact directly in their hands.
According to Newey, Fernando Alonso believes he can only complete about 25 laps before risking nerve damage to his fingers. His teammate Lance Stroll feels he can manage only 15 laps before reaching the same danger level.
The vibration has also caused several mechanical problems. Parts such as mirrors and tail lights have reportedly fallen off the car during testing.
Efforts to Fix the Issue
Engineers have introduced temporary solutions before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
These changes aim to stop the vibrations from damaging the hybrid system battery. However, the vibrations still travel through the chassis and steering system.
Honda’s F1 chief Koji Watanabe said the team will only know if the changes work once the cars run on track during practice.
Newey admitted the team may have to limit the number of laps their drivers complete in the race until engineers solve the root cause of the vibrations.
Drivers Feel the Impact
Alonso confirmed that the vibrations make his hands and feet feel numb after several laps.
He said drivers could still push through discomfort if they were fighting for victory. However, he stressed that the issue is unusual and should not exist in a Formula One car.
Alonso added that the team still does not know the long-term effects of driving with such vibrations.
Engine Performance Also a Concern
Apart from reliability issues, the Honda engine is also struggling with performance under the new regulations.
The latest F1 engine rules split power equally between the internal combustion engine and the electric system.
Reports suggest the electrical component of the engine may be about 50kW (67bhp) below the allowed limit. Watanabe did not confirm the figure but admitted the team could not run the engine at full revs due to reliability problems.
Newey said weaker engine power also affects battery usage. Drivers must rely more on electrical energy to compensate for lower combustion power. This drains the battery faster on long straights.
Development Still Ongoing
Newey joined Aston Martin in March last year and changed the design direction of the car. Because of the late changes and delays with the team’s new wind tunnel, development started later than rivals.
He estimates Aston Martin currently sits around fifth among the teams in chassis performance. The gap to the leading cars is roughly three-quarters of a second to one second per lap.
Despite the setbacks, Newey believes the car has strong development potential. He expects the team to improve significantly over the coming races.
