Terrible weekend for Lance Stroll at the São Paulo Grand Prix, where his race ended before it even began, right on the formation lap. But for what reason?
Stuck in the gravel, the Aston Martin driver reported a potential brake issue, highlighting malfunctions that affected both him and his teammate, Fernando Alonso during the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo.
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Stroll off track on the formation lap
Right from the start, during the warm-up lap, Stroll’s Grand Prix took a surprising turn. Starting from a respectable 9th on the grid, he lost control of his Aston Martin at Turn 4, ending up in the gravel trap. In an attempt to get back on track, his AMR24 got stuck, forcing him to retire even before the race began. The Brazilian crowd, visibly less than favorable toward the Canadian, used this unexpected exit to cheer for local reserve driver Felipe Drugovich. Stroll expressed doubts about his brakes: “As soon as I hit the brakes, rear locking made me lose all control.” It’s true that this kind of incident is rare in Formula 1, and with the wet conditions, even a minor slip is irrecoverable. This unexpected failure sparked speculation about recurring brake issues at Aston Martin. Honestly, he could have had a brake problem and gone off track. But the way he gets stuck in the gravel doesn’t come from a technical failure…
A challenging weekend for Alonso too
As for Fernando Alonso, things weren’t much better. Although he did start the race, the Spaniard also reported braking issues with his F1 car. According to him, adjustments were made to his car after a qualifying accident, but these changes didn’t yield the expected results in the race. “I felt unstable brake balance, especially during restarts, with the balance shifting randomly toward the rear,” explained Alonso. Not ideal when looking for maximum stability in the rain. This issue contributed to a performance well below expectations, finishing second-to-last of the remaining drivers on track. And we know rain is the ultimate test for skilled drivers-and with his 401 race starts, Alonso is undoubtedly among the best despite the difficult race he endured because of the bumpy track.
Fernando Alonso gave everything for the team today 💚 pic.twitter.com/y7uN18MSvo
— Autosport (@autosport) November 3, 2024
Aston Martin under pressure to solve the issue
Team principal Mike Krack confirmed investigations are underway to understand the cause of the incident. The team’s difficult season appears to drag on, and this brake failure heightens concerns about the AMR24’s technical performance. “We need to look closely at the situation because this incident was unexpected,” he stated. With three races left in the season, Aston Martin is under pressure to address these technical issues and provide their drivers with a more reliable car heading into a stronger 2025 season. I hope they can turn things around because the start of their 2022 season was promising.
This article explores the unexpected brake issues that led to Lance Stroll’s premature exit from the Brazilian GP, how Fernando Alonso also faced braking difficulties, and Aston Martin’s efforts to address these recurring problems before the season’s end.
Featured image: Aston Martin F1 Team
