Aston Martin drivers warned against "hard kerb strikes" following damage
"Aggressive kerbs" at the Losail circuit have taken their toll
Aston Martin drivers Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll have been warned to avoid making "hard kerb strikes" due to damage sustained so far in practice for the Qatar Grand Prix.
The Losail International Circuit is making its debut on the F1 calendar this weekend, and following the first day of running on Friday, numerous drivers encountered issues due to the "aggressive" nature of the kerbs that caused damage.
It has led to Aston Martin team principal Otmar Szafnauer making clear to drivers Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll of the possible consequences.
"The drivers and the engineers like the track apart from some of the aggressive kerbs that appear to be damaging the cars when we hit them at excessive speeds," said Szafnauer.
"We had a bit of damage in FP1, which we weren't anticipating, and we really have to be careful so that we manage our spares correctly."
As to the exact nature of the damage, Szafnauer added: "Front-wing damage, floor damage. Mainly damage to carbon parts, and I don't think we were the only ones. I saw some others.
"Hard kerb strikes, that bit we don't like but the circuit itself is good."
Despite assessing their to be "good balance" with the car, Szafnauer felt there was "lap time [lost] in going over the kerbs, so therein lies the conundrum".
Responding to his suggestion to the drivers, he said: "We can't jeopardise the car by being too aggressive."
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