Coulthard questions Alonso retirement after Chinese GP as Honda spotlight claim emerges

After a troublesome testing period, team principal Adrian Newey issued a warning at the Australian Grand Prix by saying vibrations from the new Honda engines could cause "permanent nerve damage" to their drivers.

The two-time World Champion played down the original thoughts of Newey in Melbourne, but at the Shanghai International Circuit, several videos showed Alonso repeatedly shaking his hands down the back straight due to engine vibrations, before retiring from the race in discomfort.

But after watching onboard footage of Alonso in Shanghai, the former Red Bull driver has some questions about the issues the 44-year-old faces.

“I’m talking with no knowledge of what he’s feeling in the car, but I looked at the video, and I’ve experienced flat spots on tyres, wheel weights coming off, and you get the vibration in the steering. The steering is physically doing that [shakes his hands to mimic vibrations]," Coulthard explained on the Up To Speed podcast.

It's not the first bit of criticism Alonso has received, with former Ferrari engineer Jock Clear believing that the Spaniard is "not the driver to be picked" to help Aston Martin turn things around.

There will also be less running done by Alonso at the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix, as reserve driver Jak Crawford will get behind the wheel in FP1 instead of the two-time World Champion.

It's a Grand Prix weekend that could have huge impacts on Aston Martin for the rest of the season, with Chief Trackside Engineer Mike Krack stating it will give the team "opportunities".