Alonso delivers 'harsh' Austrian GP warning

Fernando Alonso has warned of the dangers of Formula 1 kerbs at the Red Bull Ring ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.

The track boundaries at the Styrian venue are notoriously unforgiving, with the tooth-like kerbs creating vigorous vibrations to deter drivers from straying over the limits.

Hitting these kerbs consistently can lead to critical damage to wings, suspension and, particularly in the ground-effect era, the intricate floor patterns that create all-important downforce.

With Parc Fermé being implemented after just one practice session for this weekend's Sprint format, precision will be all the more critical to avoid event-ruining incidents.

Alonso finished second in Montreal last time out, utilising an update package to his Aston Martin and ahead fo the Austrian GP weekend, the two-time F1 World Champion said: “It was great to return to the podium in Canada.

"The upgrades we brought to the car seemed to be working well and we will continue to optimise the setup as we go into Austria.

“It’s a fast and short lap here and it usually provides some good racing and overtaking. You have to be careful of the run-off areas and try to avoid damage to the cars with the harsh kerbs.

"I look forward to seeing what we can do. The target will be to keep up this form and score as many points for the team as we try to take back second place in the Constructors’ Championship.”

Additional element

Lance Stroll will be aiming to find form to hit the top five and back up teammate Alonso's recent returns, having struggled to match the Spaniard early in the season.

“Our weekend changes slightly with the Sprint format, which means FP1 is very much focused on dialling in the car and getting up to speed ahead of Qualifying on Friday afternoon," said Stroll.

"The Sprint event on Saturday brings an additional element to consider across the weekend as we try and maximise our points return.”