Aston Martin drivers 'at risk of permanent nerve damage' as Australian GP plan outlined

Aston Martin team boss Adrian Newey has revealed that Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are at risk of permanent nerve damage at the Australian Grand Prix.

Since it was confirmed that Newey would join Aston Martin, it has been widely expected that the 67-year-old would transform the team into title contenders. However, Aston Martin's 2026 challenger, the AMR26, has so far been problematic.

During last month's testing in Bahrain, Alonso and Stroll only managed a combined total of 128 laps. In comparison, Mercedes clocked 432.

Speaking on Thursday, Newey revealed the biggest problem with the car and claimed that Alonso and Stroll are at risk of permanent nerve damage if they drive for more than 15 or 25 laps.

He explained: "That vibration into the chassis is causing a few reliability problems. Mirrors falling off, tail lights falling off - all that sort of thing, which we are having to address.

"But the much more significant problem is that the vibration is transmitted ultimately into the driver's fingers."

Newey continued: "So Fernando [Alonso] is of the feeling that he can't do more than 25 laps consecutively before he will risk permanent nerve damage to his hands.

"Lance [Stroll] is of the opinion that he can't do more than 15 laps before that threshold."

Responding to Newey's comments, Alonso stated that he could do 'three hours' in the car if he is fighting for victory.

The Spaniard said: "If we were fighting for the win, we can do three hours in the car, let's be clear. But definitely it is something that is unusual. It shouldn't be there.

"We don't know the consequences either if we keep driving like that for months. So a solution has to be implemented."

Meanwhile, Stroll likened the vibration to being 'electrocuted'.

Honda boss issues statement on Aston Martin's Australian GP plan

Honda Racing boss Koji Watanabe has stated that the team will not know about how long they can run around Albert Park until the AMR26 hits the track on Friday's FP1 session.

A statement read: "Only once the car runs on track will we have a full understanding of whether the countermeasures are effective. So, certain limitations will be applied to the power unit operation this week.

"Honda Racing Corporation and Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team will continue to work closely together as one team, with further countermeasures already under consideration."