Alonso baffled by steering wheel mishap in Bahrain FP2

Fernando Alonso endured a surreal and worrying moment during Friday’s second practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix, when the steering wheel of his Aston Martin went blank just two laps into the session and then detached itself completely!

Without warning, the wheel disconnected from the steering column altogether, leaving the two-time world champion unable to shift gears or communicate with his team.

The incident, as unexpected as it was alarming, briefly halted Alonso’s running, but the veteran’s composure and the team’s quick response kept the setback from derailing his evening.

Drama in the Cockpit

Over the team radio, his urgency was clear as he alerted his crew to the unfolding drama. “Change the steering wheel,” Alonso said. “There’s a problem with the steering wheel; it’s switching off.”

Speaking to the media after the session, the Spaniard recounted the cascade of issues that culminated in the wheel coming loose.

“Yeah, the car [was] not working, and I could not shift gears at one point, so yeah, I had a dash off,” he explained.

“So, I could not communicate with the team either, and yeah, in the last corner the wheel was off.

“So yeah, we realised that maybe the steering column of the wheel or something had a problem. The mechanics quickly changed the parts and everything was fine.”

Aston Martin quickly confirmed the issue: "We had a steering wheel issue on Fernando’s car which we are looking to resolve in the garage. Upon further investigation, we’re changing parts of the steering system on Fernando’s car."

Despite the dramatic interruption, Alonso was able to rejoin the session after a quick response from his crew.

However, he only managed to finish 15th fastest, in another session that exposed the weaknesses of Aston Martin’s 2025 challenger.

A Season Going Nowhere Fast

Beyond Alonso’s steering wheel debacle in FP2, Aston Martin’s 2025 campaign appears mired in difficulties, with Friday’s running in Bahrain offering little to inspire confidence.

The team’s package, already a concern heading into the season, seems ill-suited to the demands of the Sakhir circuit.

Alonso’s FP2 result, coupled with a lack of competitive pace from his teammate Lance Stroll, paints a grim picture for a squad that harbored ambitions of mixing with the midfield’s best.

As rivals like Racing Bulls and Haas show flashes of promise, Aston Martin risks slipping further behind, their early-season form suggesting a long road ahead to rediscover their edge.

Alonso didn’t sugarcoat the situation.

"Yeah, I think it's going to be a tough weekend, unfortunately, we seem not to have the pace before coming here,” he confirmed.

"The characteristics of Bahrain was a little bit of a concern for us, for our package, and yeah, probably we confirm today that we are not competitive. It's going to be a tough weekend, but we will try to learn.

"We will try to push, and we are not giving up."

As the floodlights dimmed over Sakhir, Alonso and Aston Martin turned their focus to Saturday, hoping to extract lessons from a day defined by a freak mechanical failure and a sobering reality check.

For the 43-year-old champion, the steering wheel incident was a fleeting scare, but the team’s deeper struggles loom as a far greater challenge.

• Read also: Alonso unveils £2m Aston Martin Valiant hypercar gem

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