Aston Martin make driver plea after woeful F1 start: 'Not appropriate'

Aston Martin chief Mike Krack has issued a plea to the media over "not appropriate" questions directed to the "super-exposed" Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. 

As the team struggles for competitiveness with its Honda power unit, tough questions have been asked of the driver line-up and team principal Adrian Newey, who was not trackside in Shanghai for the Chinese GP. 

With Alonso and Stroll mandated to speak to the media at least three times across a grand prix weekend, on a Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, they are fielding a majority of the questions, including on the vibrations of the Honda engine, which Newey claimed could create "permanent" nerve damage over extended stints. 

Alonso retired from the Chinese GP due to discomfort from the vibrations, with onboard footage showing the two-time world champion removing his hands from the steering wheel and shaking them on the straights to alleviate the pain and regain feeling in his fingers.

Speaking after the double DNF in China, after Stroll also retired, chief trackside officer Krack reminded the media that Alonso and Stroll are also "human beings."

"I am happy that you asked this question, because, for the drivers, it is the hardest," Krack replied when asked by media, including RacingNews365, about what Alonso and Stroll are going through. 

"It is also a kind of request to you guys [the media], but for the drivers, there is nothing they can do; the drivers are super-exposed, and they get the questions.

"They get the controversial questions, and I heard [on Saturday] that Lance was not really giving many answers, so we need to understand this situation.

"It is a sporting competition, it is emotional, and we are doing this because of the emotion, and we do not want to be fighting at the back, so they're putting so much energy into this.

"They often get questions that are sometimes not appropriate. Now, you can say that they are professional at least, but they are also human beings, so help us, please, to get this.

"It's tough at the moment, but if we manage to take a little bit of consideration for the drivers in this, I think it will help all of us."