Aston Martin Reveals Gravel Caused Alonso's Monza Suspension Failure

Fernando Alonso's Retirement at Monza Attributed to Undetected Gravel Damage

Fernando Alonso was forced to retire from the Italian Grand Prix while battling for a strong points finish, with Aston Martin now revealing that a spray of gravel on the opening lap "compromised" his car's suspension, ultimately leading to its failure. This unexpected cause left the team unaware of the damage until the component eventually gave way.

Why it matters:

Alonso's DNF at Monza cost him valuable points, impacting both his personal standing in the Drivers' Championship and Aston Martin's fight in the Constructors' Championship. The incident highlights how seemingly minor race contact can have significant, delayed consequences, particularly in crucial races.

The details:

• Alonso, who qualified eighth, was running on lap 25 when his car's front suspension failed. He was navigating the kerbs on the exit of the Ascari chicane.
• The Spaniard immediately radioed, "suspension failure, this is unbelievable," before limping back to the pits.
• Aston Martin confirmed the root cause: during the opening lap, McLaren's Lando Norris was squeezed off track, putting his wheels in the gravel. Alonso, positioned four cars behind, was in the direct line of the flying debris.
• "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," Aston Martin stated.
• The damage went undetected by the team, with "low-level, continuous loading" eventually causing the part to fail. Alonso had noted that "It’s a kerb we had been using all weekend and that cars are still using in the race, so we’ll have to analyse what happened."

Driver's perspective:

Alonso expressed significant frustration over the incident, noting a pattern of misfortunes in points-scoring races.

• "Always these things happen when we have a scoring race," Alonso lamented. "We had some races that we were dead last and nothing happened, like a Spa that we are running one lap behind the leaders, but yeah. Monaco, I think I was P6 and retired with an engine problem. Today was P7, retired with a suspension problem."
• He added, "It’s frustrating that I should have maybe 20, 30 points more than what I have. It’s not done to me, but it is the way it is."

The big picture:

Aston Martin currently stands sixth in the Constructors’ Championship with 62 points, just one point ahead of Racing Bulls. Alonso is 12th in the Drivers’ standings, two points behind his teammate Lance Stroll. These lost points could prove crucial as the season progresses.