(Motorsport-Total.com) – For the Monaco Grand Prix, Aston Martin has worked on Fernando Alonso’s seating position. After all, the 2005 and 2006 world champion had to retire from the Canadian race precisely because of this.
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“We worked on it a bit last week,” explains the Spaniard. The 44-year-old explicitly mentions online meetings or trying out different positions. After some tests on Tuesday in Monaco, four different variants are now available.
“We’ve changed a lot since Canada,” emphasizes Alonso. “So I’m relaxed and optimistic that the problem from Canada [is solved]. It was really uncomfortable there.”
According to the 32-time Grand Prix winner, the continuous changes during a weekend involve small pads that can be changed between sessions if in doubt. However, Alonso does not see this as a distraction.
Asked if his seating position differed so much from previous cockpits, Alonso replies: “Not really. In every new seat and cockpit there are small differences.”
“One or two millimeters at a different angle or a different pressure point under your hip, and that can already press on your nerves. Then you start to lose feeling, and that was exactly the case.”
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“So, no, it’s not a big change. If I were sitting in seats from the last three or four years in the garage, I wouldn’t notice anything, because it’s all very similar. But after 20 or 30 laps, you start to feel the difference. But, as I said, that’s solved now.”
Alonso answers the question of whether Adrian Newey has pushed the limits in cockpit design as follows: “Certainly, certainly.”
“That’s his philosophy, to really explore the limits. Once you’ve found the limit, you can take half a step back. That’s how it works, and that’s what we’re currently working on.”
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“This applies not only to [the cockpit], but to many areas in the team where we push the limits. We know that we might quickly find more performance if we resort to old methods.”
“But we prefer to implement [the other] philosophy in some areas of the car, because we believe that this will enable more performance in the near future.”
Compared to previous years, the seating position in the AMR26 is significantly lower. Mike Krack explained before the Monaco weekend that further small changes over the weekend would not be a surprise.
“You can’t just change one thing,” explains Krack. “Then you’d have to adjust the pedals or ensure that the regulations around height are met and all such things, as well as the distance to the steering wheel. So it’s never a single component. Instead, it’s a series of adjustments, which makes it a bit complicated if you haven’t driven yet.”
Krack answers the question of whether Alonso now sits higher in the cockpit as follows: “He can’t sit much lower.”
Lance Stroll has also felt anything but comfortable in his cockpit so far: “I’m trying to adjust or move a few things,” says the Aston Martin driver.
“I’m constantly changing my seating position, the position of my pedals, and all such things to make it a bit more comfortable. In the AMR26, that has been a challenge so far.”
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