Aston Martin gives update on “random downshifts” after…

Aston Martin Formula 1 ambassador Pedro de la Rosa has given a tentative update on the AMR26’s driveability problems following Fernando Alonso’s accident at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Alonso lost control of his car coming into the chicane, tapping the wall but avoiding what could have been a bigger shunt.

The incident occurred just 24 hours after the Spanish veteran again complained of “random downshifts” in his Thursday media session, explaining these could trigger rear locking and there would be immediate consequences this weekend given how close the walls are on the narrow Monaco track.

The issue is gearbox-related but occurs within the wider power unit context, after Aston Martin switched from Mercedes customer engines to Honda works powertrains and started making its own gearboxes.

As it happened, de la Rosa was one of three team leaders invited to Friday’s FIA press conference, moments after Alonso hit the barrier, so he was asked if the two-time world champion’s off was down to the aforementioned technical problem.

“I don't really know exactly what happened, in the sense that it is rear locking, but I don't really know – because I haven't been able to look at the data – if it was related to the downshift or not,” de la Rosa said. “But obviously, it was a massive rear locking issue. He let go of the brakes at one point just to recover, otherwise it would have been a full spin, so he did very well to come out of that with just a little broken front wing [endplate], so that was that.”

Pedro de la Rosa of Spain, Aston Martin F1 Team (Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images)

Rather than considering it as one specific issue, de la Rosa views Alonso’s accident as symptomatic of Aston’s wider troubles with car behaviour amid F1’s switch to new powertrain regulations.

“I guess it's all part of the same problem, the driveability, predictability of the car when you brake; the downshift, which affects the brake balance – and then you move it rearwards in a way that it affects the downshift even further,” he added. “I haven't looked at the data, I haven't spoken with Fernando to be honest, but it is definitely not an easy car to drive.

“It's something that we're working [on], driveability, predictability. This year, it is still more challenging for the teams and the power units to deliver a constant torque under downshifting. Drivers are trying to use a very short gear in the apexes just to recharge more the battery, which makes it even worse if the whole downshifting process is not smooth enough, and that's where we are.”

Aston’s struggles are so profound that Alonso’s specific Monaco problem doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, de la Rosa openly stated.

“We're working very hard, but definitely looking at what happened to Fernando, I don't know if it was braking, locking or downshifting first. I don't care about that,” he asserted. “The car is still too difficult to drive, so we still have to work a lot more.”