Aston Martin Faces Big Vibration Worries in First Grand Prix

Aston Martin’s new car may not survive the opening race of Formula 1 because its engine sends too much vibration to the drivers.

The team’s chief designer, Adrian Newey, said that the Honda power unit makes the car shake hard enough to hurt the hands of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.

Both drivers feel they can only drive safely for a short time before the vibration could cause lasting nerve damage.

As a result, the team will likely have to limit how many laps they run until the problem is fixed.

The car has been slow in early tests, even slower than a new team called Cadillac.

Newey explained that the vibration also causes parts like mirrors and tail lights to fall off, which is a bigger problem for the team.

He believes that once they solve the vibration issue, the car could be strong enough to compete for top spots later in the season.

Alonso remains hopeful and is watching Friday’s practice session closely.
He says that some fixes have already been added after tests in Bahrain, and he wants to see if the car improves.

The team is working hard on a new gearbox and different fuel partner, but those changes have taken time to develop.

Other drivers have made jokes about Aston Martin’s struggles.
Valtteri Bottas, who races for Cadillac, mentioned that he thinks Mercedes will only catch up to Aston Martin by the final race of the year.