Aston Martin Chief Trackside Officer Mike Krack has revealed that the team made a particular breakthrough on one of the biggest problems plaguing its AMR26 at the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix.
The third Grand Prix the season was a milestone moment in some respects, as it saw the first time this year that the AMR26, designed by Team Principal Adrian Newey, has managed to finish a race.
Whilst Krack refuted it as a cause for celebration, it marked a watershed for the team and its problematic Honda power unit, that has contributed to many of the car’s issues.
Ahead of the new season, Newey revealed that the vibrations its batteries were causing was leading Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll to feel vibrations so strong that they were risking “permanent nerve damage”.
In China, Alonso managed 35 laps – 10 more than Newey originally said the Spaniard was capable of – before being forced to box the car, having been spotted on onboard cameras taking his hands off the wheel on the start-finish straight to release some of the discomfort.
But the veteran was able to finish the race in Suzuka, heralding a possible turning point for the team.
Alonso revealed over the weekend that during FP2, he “the car felt completely normal, nearly no vibrations”, but appeared to signal a regression in qualifying, saying “the same vibrations as ever” were present in qualifying.
However, the vibrations were nullified once again in time for the race, to help new father Alonso’s quest to chequered flag.
After the race, Krack did not reveal the exact remedy of the issue, but revealed to media including Motorsport Week that “we had some countermeasures here” and “we tested something in the sessions that was a small improvement, but we could not race it”.
Krack added: “Bringing new parts always brings a risk, so you need to consider that when you make reliability decisions.
“They were new parts, so we decided not to go into the race with them, but I think it shows some promise.”
This is a big moment for Aston Martin, appearing to mitigate one of its primary problems. And if it can improve further and promote more race finishes, improvements and working towards them can be made at a faster rate.
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