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Aston Martin seeks permanent F1 DRS solution after lubricant fix in Baku
Drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll lost an estimated 0.2 seconds on Friday’s practice session on the main straight in Baku, and Grand Prix and Sprint Race Qualifying.
The failure was largely caused by the aerodynamics of the new low-drag wing specification, which meant the overtaking device was oscillating and would only activate intermittently.
This was exacerbated by the bumps of the Shoreline street circuit and the air pressure on the long straights.
As a temporary solution at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Alonso finished fourth and Stroll finished seventh, the team cleaned the rear wing end plate with lubricant to ease flap movement.
Asked by Autosport to explain the quick fix, Clarke said: “I can’t tell you, but it’s not far from using WD40!”
“The car is in the parc ferme, so there’s not much you can do. We try to clean the surfaces and try to check your crevices, everything.
“We checked everything with the FIA, which was very helpful with that, and you’ll also see that we also replaced one of the fenders on Fernando’s car.
“Essentially, it’s done after a routine check, because if you keep pulling the flaps when they’re not in place, you’re putting more pressure on it. So, to be safe, we want to change that.”
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR23
Photography: Andy Horn / motorsport pictures
Clarke flagged the DRS issue as a “distraction” for the team, while the AMR23’s real shortfall came in the middle of the twist.
“It’s more of a distraction than a real disadvantage because DRS comes into play on the straights, so it’s obviously a small penalty, but in the sprint and the race, it worked.
“But when we did the analysis, in qualifying we lost mainly in the second zone, which is not the DRS zone.
“It’s a distraction and then a lot of teams focus on that, so that’s why we don’t have this problem anymore. Overall, I think we’ve managed to fix it.
“We would have liked to have resolved it earlier, or not had it in the first place. But at the end of the day, this is not a drama.”
Krack confirmed it will conduct a full analysis of the fault and install a permanent fix for the Miami Grand Prix this weekend.
Lewis Hamilton is satisfied after finishing runner-up at the Spanish Grand Prix as the best driver behind Max Verstappen. The British driver was also happy to answer questions about his contract and how he might challenge Verstappen in the future.
On lap 56 of 66 in a round dominated by Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, Alfa Romeo driver Zhou used DRS to challenge Tsunoda for 9th on the outside entering Turn 1 right hand.
But as the corner transitioned into Turn 2, Chow appeared to shake his machine to the left, before rejoining the track several car lengths behind Kakuda into the escape lane.
The FIA stewards reviewed the incident and ruled that Zhou was ahead at the apex of Turn 1 and therefore had the right to enter the race room.
As Tsunoda was found violating the International Sports Code, he received a 5-second penalty and dropped to 12th without points. Zhou, meanwhile, scored two points for ninth.
Asked by Autosport about his reaction, Tsunoda said: “It’s a ridiculous penalty and it feels really unfair.”
Recalling his take on events, Tsunoda thought Zhou had “pretended” to run out of space and that there was “definitely” room to keep the Alfa Romeo on track.
He said: “I left the room when I saw (Zhou Lai), I think he gave up early on.
“He went outside and pretended he was being forced out, but he didn’t. Sure enough, there was room outside.
“Obviously I put pressure on him, but there was still space, so I don’t understand why it was a penalty. It felt really unfair, really harsh.”
Yuki Tsunoda, Scuderia AlphaTauri in the paddock
Photography: Jack Grant / motorsport pictures
Tsunoda said he was not aware of the penalty until it reached the finish line, and believes drivers and teams should be able to present their defense to the FIA before the final ruling is given.
He said: “After I just heard the checkered flag, I was really happy. But after listening to that radio, I was really disappointed.
“At the same time, (I think) it’s a bit of a curiosity … it’s good to have some discussion with the FIA because they gave five seconds without any discussion and the race was over.
“So, it didn’t feel fair … (I felt) exhausted and flat.”
In contrast, Zhou believes that this is a dunk penalty for Kakuda. He said: “It’s very simple.
“Going into Turn 1 and into the middle, I was in the lead and I actually gave a lot of space. Then I saw that he (and him) didn’t stop.
“(He tried to) release the brakes (but he) drove me away and I had to take avoidance action and (use) the escape route or we would collide.
“So, it was tricky after that because I had a lot of rubbish on my tyres. But in the end, I was able to stay in the right position behind him and regain the position.”
Nick de Vries finished the Spanish GP with the same finish he started with: fourteenth. The AlphaTauri driver was aiming for points on the familiar track of Barcelona, but a poor start prevented him from actually breaking into the top ten.
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