Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Fernando Alonso has revealed the serious impact of vibrations coming from the new Aston Martin car ahead of the opening round of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the Australian Grand Prix.
The Silverstone-based team endured a difficult pre-season preparation with limited running during testing. The primary issue has been linked to the power unit developed with Honda, which is generating significant vibrations and affecting both driver comfort and overall car reliability.
The situation is severe enough that technical chief Adrian Newey warned prolonged running could risk permanent nerve damage for the drivers due to the frequency of the vibrations transmitted through the car.
Alonso explained that the vibrations are not only felt by the drivers but are also impacting various components of the car.
“For us, everything is vibrating.”
“But it’s not only for us. The car is struggling a little bit, which is why we have some issues and reliability problems that made our days slightly shorter.”
According to Alonso, the engine vibrations are also damaging some of the car’s components during running.
“The vibrations coming from the engine are hurting some of the components on the car.”
“As drivers we feel them as well. Our body feels the frequency. After around 20 or 25 minutes you start to feel a bit numb in your hands or your feet.”
It is not the first time Alonso has experienced challenges with Honda in Formula 1. When the Japanese manufacturer returned to the championship in 2015 with McLaren, the project initially struggled with reliability during its early development phase.
Despite the current issues, Alonso expressed confidence that Honda will be able to find solutions to the technical limitations affecting Aston Martin.
“It has been a challenge, but every day in Sakura they are trying to find solutions.”
“Since Bahrain there have been a couple of tests done, and some of those solutions are now implemented on the car, so we are curious to see tomorrow if things improve.”
The vibration problem has become a key concern for Aston Martin heading into the Melbourne season opener, as the team works to improve reliability while ensuring the physical condition of its drivers during longer race stints.
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