Launched into a calm but well-managed Italian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso seemed well on the way to offering Aston Martin new points after leaving Monza. Fast, and choosing to stop on the 22nd lap of the race, the Asturian had just pulled off a nice maneuver by getting the better of his protégé, Gabriel Bortoleto, thanks to an efficient execution in the pit lane. Restarted on hard tires, the oldest on the grid then only had to measure his effort, hoping for the intervention of a safety car.
However, as he had just gone over a kerb during the 24th lap, Fernando Alonso saw his front-right suspension break, despite a minor contact at first. “Clearly this is not normal. It’s even strange, because we drove over this vibrator all weekend, and even today, the Aston Martin driver was annoyed after his retirement. Unfortunately it happened to our car, and it happens when you’re seventh. That’s another six points thrown away. I had to retire in Monaco when I was sixth. Now I’m having suspension problems in seventh, it’s really a frustrating season because we’re not getting the points we deserve.”
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Bad luck at Aston Martin
Difficult to imagine at first glance, this breakdown is in fact due to damage caused during the first lap of the Italian Grand Prix. “On the first lap of the race, gravel hit Fernando’s car in several places, including the suspension, which damaged it, explains the British teamThe team was unaware of the damage they had sustained. A continuous low-current load eventually caused the part to fail.
In reality, and in light of these observations, it seems that the contact with the kerb that caused Fernando Alonso’s suspension to break was in fact the final blow to an already fragile structure. Frustrating and worrying as to the robustness of the car, this event will in any case allow Aston Martin to look into the situation before tackling even more demanding circuits at the end of the year. In Baku, for example, no mistakes will be allowed. Without even mentioning kerbs, the walls will be the main obstacle to avoid for all drivers.