New Delhi: Aston Martin’s revamped F1 car had a suspected rear suspension failure during the first practice session of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Aston Martin had brought 16 updates to Budapest, effectively coming with almost a new car. It was to make a comeback to a season that has started terribly wrong for them.
The upgrade had been in the limelight for weeks leading up to the session, though asLance Stroll spun out after just 11 laps into it. After his car came to a halt, the left rear wheel assembly was spotted to come loose. Aston Martin team boss didn’t give out much detail post the session,
Newey noted that the team was trying to understand the cause of the problem. Newey pointed out that the team was trying to figure out the issue before deciding the next part of the action.
The issue was identified as a failure involving the rear suspension. Even though the affected part wasn’t part of the upgrade package introduced, Aston Martin’s limited supply of spare parts could still affect Lance Stroll’s participation. The upgrade includes different cladding and minor changes in the area, making the failure particularly unexpected and complicating the availability of replacement parts.
A point of hope for Aston Martin
Newey noted that the team would be required to investigate the failure thoroughly before drawing any conclusions. However, for Aston Martin, a bright note was Fernando Alonso finishing 13th, 2.475 seconds off the pace, a big leap from the team’s usual performance in the season.
Alonso had previously said he was optimistic about the big upgrade from the team, though always cautioned over high hopes. He had said that Budapest was a great circuit and power isn’t the most important thing. The engine wasn’t the one that was changed, but parts of the car, rather than bringing it. Post the session, Alonso was quite happy with the car.
Post-race, he noted that the car had performed in the way they wanted it to. While there was a lot to study and a long way to go, the Spaniard felt that it was a big step.
Alonso’s future in F1
Alonso had earlier even talked about his future in motorsport. He turns 45 this Wednesday and is out of contract at the end of the season. He has repeatedly stated that he remains committed to Aston Martin for the long term, regardless of whether he continues racing in Formula 1. He reiterated that stance on Thursday, and made it clear that his current contract means he has no plans to leave the team.
However, his decision on whether to continue his F1 career will not depend solely on the performance of Aston Martin’s latest upgrade package. He is also still unsure about whether he finds the intense energy-management demands of the current generation of F1 power units rewarding enough from a driver’s perspective. As long as he enjoys it, he feels he would be hanging around.