Alonso calls Aston Martin 'impossible to drive' after new gearbox failure in Miami

Fernando Alonso says Aston Martin has solved its chronic vibration issues, but a new and severe gearbox problem made his car "impossible to drive" during qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix, forcing the team into a race-day fix to avoid disaster.

Why it matters:

Aston Martin's season has been defined by a search for reliability and basic drivability. Just as the team appears to have cured one major flaw, another critical failure emerges, highlighting the depth of the AMR26's technical troubles and threatening to derail any potential progress in a tightly packed midfield.

The details:

• Alonso reported a complete loss of gearbox synchronization during Miami qualifying, calling the issue a "bad surprise" that did not appear in any prior practice sessions.
• The problem manifested as erratic downshifts and a lack of acceleration out of corners, making the car unpredictable and slow.
• Vibration Fix Confirmed: On a positive note, Alonso confirmed the severe vibrations that plagued the car earlier in the season are "gone," crediting work done by engine partner Honda at its Sakura facility after the Japanese GP.
• Strategic Delay: Aston Martin was one of the few teams not to bring a performance upgrade package to Miami, with Alonso explaining there was "no point" in adding small performance gains while the car was over a second per lap off the pace of rivals ahead.

What's next:

The immediate priority is a fix for the gearbox issue before the Miami GP, especially with potential rain adding another layer of complexity. The team's longer-term strategy involves patiently solving core reliability problems before introducing performance upgrades, a process Alonso admits will require the entire team to "stay calm" through a difficult period.