Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Fernando Alonso has provided an update on his physical condition after retiring from the 2026 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne. The Aston Martin driver had been dealing with severe vibrations from the Honda power unit, which raised concerns about potential nerve damage in his fingers.
Ahead of the race weekend, Aston Martin’s technical leader Adrian Newey revealed that both Alonso and team-mate Lance Stroll were at risk of permanent nerve damage due to the intensity of the vibrations. According to Newey, Alonso believed he could manage roughly 25 laps under those conditions, while Stroll estimated his limit to be around 15 laps.
During the race, Alonso initially stopped and retired before briefly rejoining after the car was repaired. However, the two-time world champion ultimately retired for good on lap 21 of the 58-lap event due to continued issues.
Stroll also temporarily stopped during the race but later returned to the track and completed 43 laps. The Canadian driver was classified as not finishing (NC) despite crossing the line as the last of the 17 cars still running at the end of the race.
Speaking after the grand prix, Alonso confirmed that the vibration problem had not yet been fully resolved despite modifications introduced since pre-season testing in Bahrain.
“It is similar to Bahrain, and it is not the best feeling with this level of vibration,” Alonso told media, including RacingNews365.
“Honda thinks the vibrations on the battery have been reduced since Bahrain with some modifications, but that has not happened on the chassis yet because the battery needs to be isolated in a different way.”
Alonso indicated that resolving the issue could take more time, but he remains committed to helping the team gather data during the next race weekend.
“It will take a little more time, but we will try to do our best in China and complete as many laps as possible to help the team.”
“It will probably be no different, so I expect another tough weekend, but we cannot give up and we must keep trying different solutions.”
Despite the retirement, Alonso enjoyed the opening phase of the race after making a strong start that briefly placed him inside the top ten.
“The start and the first two laps were the most enjoyable part of the race,” Alonso explained.
“Being in P10 for two laps was unexpected.”
“But we were completely out of position in P10, so I dropped back to P17.”
He added that the first stop during the race was triggered by a small issue in the team’s data system. After the car was repaired and returned to the track, a second technical problem emerged, forcing Alonso to retire permanently.
The Australian Grand Prix proved to be a difficult start to the season for Aston Martin, with the team now focused on resolving the vibration issues ahead of the next round of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship in China.
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