Aston Martin F1 has revealed the unexpected culprit behind Fernando Alonso’s premature exit from the Italian Grand Prix: a first-lap gravel strike that compromised his car’s suspension, leading to a dramatic failure on Lap 24.
The incident, initially thought to have been the result of a hard ride over the exit kerb at Ascari, was traced back to debris impacting the AMR25 during the chaotic opening lap at Monza.
But a thorough post-race investigation by the Silverstone-based outfit uncovered a different story altogether.
Hidden Damage from Lap 1
The race began promisingly for Alonso, who climbed to sixth at the start, overhauling Kimi Antonelli and Gabriel Bortoleto before settling in eighth position ahead of the tyre rotations.
However, his race unraveled on Lap 24 when the right rear pushrod of his AMR25 gave way, forcing the two-time world champion to nurse his car back to the pits where he retired on the spot.
Initially, the team suspected the failure had been caused by the outside kerb at Ascari, but a deeper investigation revealed a more complex story.
Aston Martin’s post-race analysis uncovered that gravel, flicked up during the frenetic first lap, struck multiple areas of Alonso’s car, including the suspension.
The damage went unnoticed during the race, but the continuous low-level loading on the compromised component ultimately led to its catastrophic failure.
Aston Martin issued an official statement detailing the incident:
“The team can confirm some gravel hit Fernando’s car in the first lap of the race in multiple areas, including his suspension, which compromised it. The team were unaware of the damage sustained. Low-level, continuous loading caused the eventual failure of the part.”
Alonso’s Frustration Mounts
The retirement was another blow for Alonso, who has endured a challenging season despite recent improvements in Aston Martin’s performance.
The Spaniard, currently 12th in the drivers’ championship with just two points separating him from teammate Lance Stroll, was understandably unhappy after the race.
Read also:
“It’s frustrating that I should have maybe 20-30 points more than what I have – not down to me – but it’s the way it is,” Alonso said. “Unfortunately, I’m getting used to it.”
Aston Martin’s fight for fifth in the Constructors’ championship also took a hit. The team has outscored Williams since the Spanish Grand Prix in June, but Alonso’s retirement, coupled with Alex Albon’s seventh-place finish at Monza, allowed Williams to extend their lead over Aston to 24 points.
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook
