Fernando Alonso outlines fresh Aston Martin problem as vibrations improve

Fernando Alonso has outlined that improving the gearbox is Aston Martin’s next problem to solve, with vibrations now under control following the Miami Grand Prix.

After qualifying, the two-time champion told media that he did not suffer from chassis vibrations, something which had hurt the British outfit across the opening rounds.

While performance remained a major issue, Aston Martin’s reliability was much improved, with both Alonso and Lance Stroll finishing the Grand Prix.

It was a step forward in Alonso’s eyes, even if the actual performance of the AMR26 was no different from its struggles in Japan.

Asked if the reliability improvement also made the performance of the car better, Alonso told select media including RacingNews365: "I'm not sure in terms of performance, I don't think so.

"Just the reliability was better. We didn't have any issues. Vibrations are better. But no, performance, I think, is very similar to Japan."

Getting on top of its vibrations problem is a real positive for Aston Martin and Honda, although it is a case of simply moving on to the next critical issue.

According to Alonso, that next issue is Aston Martin’s gearbox, with him having struggled to change gears at times — something that is make-or-break in Canada.

Discussing whether, like in qualifying, the vibrations had gone, Alonso revealed: "Honestly, it was more the gearbox the whole weekend than the engine.

"So I don't know — the electronics, something was very weird on the downshifts and the upshifts, so not very well controlled.

"So yeah, that's the fix number one for Canada. I think with all the heavy braking zones in Canada, we need to improve the gearbox behaviour at the moment."