The world championship began 76 years ago, so it's rare indeed for a new reason for a car's retirement to enter the record books. But a withdrawal for back pain induced by seating position – Fernando Alonso's reason for parking his AMR26 in the garage after 23 laps of the Canadian Grand Prix two weeks ago – is more unusual than you might imagine, given the cramped confines of a Formula 1 car's cockpit.
Alonso suffered throughout the weekend in Montreal but the team was unable to improve the situation for him despite modifying the seat. It's understood the issue is a consequence of the seat's position within the car as well as its shape.
