Alonso’s Mexico qualifying ends early after Aston Martin power issue

Fernando Alonso said his frustration was immense after a suspected power unit problem cut short his qualifying at the Mexico City Grand Prix, leaving him set to start from P18. The Aston Martin driver had shown encouraging pace in practice, but his first qualifying session ended in Q1 before he could establish his position on the grid through lap time alone.

Alonso had topped the times briefly in the opening minutes after setting a strong first lap. The team then instructed him to stop, and he brought the car to a halt just before the pit-lane entrance. Aston Martin said it suspected a water pressure problem connected to the ERS system.

The car was around 100 metres from the garage, but Alonso said the issue was likely too serious to address there. He also said stopping was the safest option for other drivers on track, and that he followed the instruction.

Practice pace had raised hopes of a stronger result

The failure came after a steady weekend up to that point. Alonso finished Friday’s second practice session 12th, 0.769 seconds off Charles Leclerc’s fastest time for Ferrari. He said his practice finishes had placed him around 11th to 13th, putting a good lap in that range within reach, although he considered a Q3 appearance too ambitious.

A finish around 12th or 13th looked more plausible to him. The setback therefore removed a chance to convert the practice form into a solid qualifying result. The weekend’s promising signs had also featured in our coverage of Aston Martin’s Mexico pace.

Alonso suggested the AMR26 was better suited to Mexico than some other circuits because the track has fewer long straights. With limited grip making full throttle difficult elsewhere, he said the car was less sensitive to power delivery at this venue.

Alonso expects traffic to make recovery difficult

Starting near the back leaves Alonso facing a difficult race. He pointed to the temperature problems drivers face in traffic, saying that starting at the rear makes it hard to follow other cars closely. He was pessimistic about the scope for making progress and described the lost opportunity as part of a difficult season.

The qualifying disappointment came amid a more encouraging picture for Aston Martin in Mexico, while Alonso’s longer-term commitment to the team has also been covered by F1LivePulse.