FERNANDO ALONSO was forced to drive with no hands on the steering wheel as he dealt with extreme vibrations in his Aston Martin car that forced him to retire from the Chinese Grand Prix.
Alonso, 44, bowed out with 21 laps to go citing discomfort and later revealing that he lost feeling in his hands and feet due to his vehicle’s technical issues.
Footage from the Formula One star’s onboard camera showed him removing his hands twice from the steering wheel.
And the Spaniard was seen trying to stretch his hand and fingers as he was obviously struggling with the car’s vibrations.
Alonso said after the race: “It was difficult.
“We found more vibrations than any other session of the weekend.
“Physically, I could not continue much longer. I started to lose the feeling in my hands and feet, it was not a nice feeling.”
Alonso’s Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll also retired earlier in the race, due to a “suspected battery issue”.
McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, Williams’ Alex Albon and Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto failed to even start the Chinese GP due to mechanical issues.
And the former Ferrari star criticised the new generation of cars after all those technical problems at the Shanghai International Circuit.
Alonso added: “Four cars didn’t start – that’s probably the worst spectacle you can have.
“The starts are fun, it was in Australia too. When we all have the same battery level on the first lap, full, the car gets a good start.
“But then we enter the world championship of battery life, and there we’re not as good as the others.”
