A problem on the front right caused Buemi’s accident

The spectacular accident of Sébastien Buemi during the free practice 1 session of the Chinese Grand Prix was caused by an issue with the front right upright. Both wheels flew off, and the Swiss driver’s car went straight into the wall while braking at turn 14.

An investigation conducted by the team showed that the incident was caused by an issue with the right upright, which had a new design introduced for this race weekend. However, what caused this malfunction has not been established. Once the right side gave way, the load on the left flap was too significant, which is why it gave way simultaneously.

The team also concluded that the wheel mounts did not work, as the mounts were attached to the part of the uprights that failed. Toro Rosso will use older models that have proven themselves for the other sessions here in Shanghai.