The Aston Martin team principal, Adrian Newey, says Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will not be able to complete even half the race Australian Grand Prix on Sunday because of vibrations in the car and the resulting risk of permanent nerve damage.
Newey, who designed the team’s new Formula One car, said before the season-opening race in Melbourne on Sunday that both drivers were suffering such severe vibrations through the steering wheel that they would only be able to complete 25 and 15 laps respectively.
‘That vibration into the chassis is causing a few reliability problems, mirrors falling off, tail lights falling off, all that sort of thing, which we are having to address,’ he said. ‘But the much more significant problem with that, is that vibration is transmitted ultimately into the driver’s fingers. Fernando is of the feeling that he can’t do more than 25 laps consecutively before he will risk permanent nerve damage into his hands.’
