Posted on 03/05/2026 6:29:11 AM PST by WhiteHatBobby0701
The team has endured a disastrous lead-up to the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, with a severe vibration plaguing its new AMR26.
That has caused trouble with its Honda battery and severely limited the number of laps able to be completed in pre-season testing.
Team principal Adrian Newey admitted earlier on Thursday that the issue is also having an impact on the drivers.
Newey revealed Alonso feels he “can’t do more than 25 laps consecutively before he will risk permanent nerve damage to his hands”, while Stroll has a 15-lap threshold.
The two drivers have subsequently given their perspectives of driving the car, with Stroll’s the most graphic.
“I guess just like, electrocute yourself in a chair or something like that, and it’s not far off,” he said.
“It’s a very uncomfortable vibration. It’s bad for the engine but it’s also bad for the human inside the car.
“We need to just get on top of it, but I think we will.”
Alonso also painted a grim picture of driving the car to date but is optimistic updates will improve it this weekend.
Newey had cautioned the team will continue to be “very heavily restricted on how many laps we do in the race until we get on top of the source of the vibration”.
“The vibrations coming from the engine are hurting the components in the car and the drivers, we feel them,” said Alonso.
“We feel our body with this frequency of the vibration that you feel after 20 or 25 minutes. A little bit numb, on your hands or your feet or whatever.
“Since Bahrain, there were a couple of tests done and some of the solutions are implemented on the car now.
“So curious to see what tomorrow we can improve and we can feel.”
Alonso stressed it’s “not difficult to control the car” and that “adrenaline is way higher than the pain” when behind the wheel.
“But definitely it is something that is unusual,” he added.
“It shouldn’t be there and we don’t know the consequences either, if you keep driving like that for months, so a solution has to be implemented.
“And as I said, everyone is trying every day in Japan to fix the things, so we are here to help as well.”
Stroll said whether he can withstand more than 15 laps behind the wheel at Albert Park “depends how much we’ve improved since Bahrain”.
“If we still have the same vibration issues we had with the car in Bahrain, it’s going to be hard to do much more than 10-15 laps,” he said.
“If we resolved those issues the last couple of weeks, then I think we can go much further into the race. Time will tell.”
My 2025 Lincoln Aviator is basically a computer with a car attached.
I know what you mean. I picked up a 2015 Explorer a couple of years ago and it’s like driving a spaceship compared to my ‘97.
Lance Stool. What a NEPO Wimp.
F1 as a whole is too complicated. I saw a documentary a couple of years ago. Drivers were in physical training that was on the level of Olympic athletes, and that is not an exaggeration at all. There was a separate handbook for operating the controls on the steering wheel that was an inch thick. Stewart, Lauda, Hunt, Andretti, those guys just stepped into the car, put their foot down and relied on natural talent.
That’s what you get for allowing that silliness on the track.
Yep, I have a 2009 Frontier and a 2016 F150. Plenty modern enough. I don’t need a space capsule with wheels. The Frontier was bought new. It’s had exactly one repair that wasn’t maintenance in 145k miles. The Ford was bought used, it’s been fine too but I Haven’t put a lot of miles on it.
The battery died on the wife’s 2019 Honda. Triple A guy couldn’t jump it, had to put it on skates to get it on his trailer. All that for a battery? Forgedaboudit.
I had the Heritage Softail Classic.
Smooth as glass.
While on a long ride with a buddy, we swapped for a bit. His was a Sportster.
Wow, did that suck.
Internet article and much easier to read. I double space all my email messages, which makes them easier on the eyes.
These are EV racers?? No interest, then.
I have a 2025 BMW 330 IX. There is no dip stick to check the oil level. You have to check it with the onboard system and follow the instructions. I had my oil changed a couple of months age and drove it around town for about 6 weeks before taking a road trip. As soon as I got about 20 miles out of town on the interstate I got a warning that the oil level exceeded the maximum level. I took it in to the dealer when I returned and the oil change tech over filled the engine by half a liter/quart. The engine has to be good and hot for the oil detection system to work..
This link is for the "F1 Power Unit Information To The Teams and PUMs". Discusses Power and Energy Limits for the lap (with map). Does anyone speak Aussie because this is Greek to me......
They are making it more electric and less petrol. Net Zero by 2030 they claim. And they don’t want highly technical broadcasters that work a full plate. NBC controls Sky and we see how classless F1 will be once their viewership craters because of elitism.
Ok, how long would the extension cord be and what if it wraps around something? Yellow or Red flag situation? ;)
I was thinking disgronificator but you may be correct. :)
“The new cars are electrocuting drivers says the drivers. “
Where did you get that silly idea? As an OP you should do better.
“It’s odd and not explained why electric motors create a vibration problem.”
The article says otherwise.
This is from the original Speedcafe article in Australia.
“This is from the original Speedcafe article in Australia.”
I don’t think so. Please quote.
Some commenters are just beyond hope.
Lance Stroll is a melodramatic schmuck who likely wouldn’t have a job in F1 if his father (Lawrence) didn’t own the team.
Making any analogy to being electrocuted is a necessarily inflammatory one because half of the horsepower in these cars comes from electric motors powered by a “supercapacitor” capable of storing 350kW, which is enough potential to kill you a hundred times over. If the car is damaged or the “kill switch” doesn’t function properly, the drivers are trained to jump off and clear of the car because casually stepping off could create a ground through their body.
Here’s a video of an F1 pit crewman touching one of the previous generation of cars (2014-2025), which only stored 160kW, and getting knocked on his keester.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__DpDTDyc4g
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