The Austrian Grand Prix of Formula 1 proved once again to be a torment for Fernando Alonso. The Asturian driver finished last at the Red Bull Ring, and was the only one lapped three times. The cherry on top was a five-second penalty for exceeding the speed limit in the pit lane, something that at Aston Martin is starting to irritate.
It isn’t the first time that Alonso has received a penalty for speeding in the pits, something that is theoretically controlled by the engine control unit and managed by the speed limiter. It seems Aston Martin have now understood what was happening: the fault lies in a small part costing only 50 euros.
A 50-Euro Sensor Was Giving Incorrect Readouts
It wasn’t decisive for the race outcome, but Fernando Alonso again exceeded the permitted pit speed in Austria. The Asturian driver had to serve a five-second penalty that was added to the delay already caused by the Aston Martin, and which left him circulating in last place.
The problem is that this is not the first time Aston Martin has exceeded pit speed, and no one understood why. It had been a recurring issue in recent races, and even earlier, but Alonso’s team had other matters to focus on. Now they have discovered that the fault lay in a small component.
“They told me it was around 75 km/h, it sometimes happens in practice,” Alonso acknowledged after the race. Obviously, the Spaniard did not pass through the pit lane at that speed; rather, it was a sensor that was sending incorrect data to the FIA, which punished without hesitation.
Alonso explica que “The front-wheel sensor sometimes overheats and records a different speed“, so I suppose that was it.” In other words, although the Aston Martin was passing through the pit lane at the correct speed, the wheel sensor was registering a much higher velocity.
What’s curious is that this sensor is one of the cheapest parts on a Formula 1 car. It can cost barely around 50 euros. Pocket change compared with the fines Aston Martin has had to pay in recent months for pit-speed excesses that they could not explain until now. Not to mention the time penalties.
We’ll see if Aston Martin is able to fix the sensor issue so that this does not become a burden when Alonso’s car finally improves.
Images | Aston Martin
