Lance Stroll has been unable to participate in Friday’s second practice session at the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix following suspension damage sustained during the first session.

Aston Martin’s newly introduced AMR26 B-spec car encountered a critical issue when Stroll’s rear suspension failed on the exit of Turn 2, resulting in a spin and a red flag. The incident forced the team to halt the session, and repairs were not completed in time for FP2.

The team confirmed that insufficient time was available to fix the damage, leaving Stroll sidelined for the second practice hour.

Team principal Adrian Newey noted that the failed component was not part of Aston’s updated parts, though modifications to the rear suspension had been made. He emphasized the urgency of understanding the failure to prevent further issues.

“The area involved hasn’t been altered,” Newey stated, adding that the problem was unexpected. The team is now focused on diagnosing the cause as quickly as possible.

Despite the setback, Fernando Alonso’s revised Aston car demonstrated progress in FP1, achieving the 13th-fastest time—2.5 seconds behind Charles Leclerc’s pace. Newey described the results as “promising” but stressed that further development is needed in upcoming races.

“This is just the beginning of our planned upgrades. We’ll continue refining the car in Zandvoort, Monza, and Baku,” he added.

Source link

Exit mobile version