Frustration is beyond imagination. That is the verdict from Fernando Alonso after a sudden power unit problem brought a bitter, premature end to his qualifying campaign at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Up until that exact moment, the weekend had offered genuine promise for the Aston Martin driver, running reliably through the preparatory sessions and showing encouraging signs.
The warning signs had flashed during Friday’s Free Practice 2 session, where the Spaniard steered his machine to P12. That placed him just 0.769s off the pacesetting Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, proving beyond doubt that a fierce midfield scrap was well within reach. But all that potential evaporated in the opening minutes of Q1.
So, there is not much we can do – and I think we lost a big opportunity,
Alonso laid down a strong initial lap that briefly topped the timing sheets before the Aston Martin pit wall issued an urgent radio command to kill the engine. He parked the car just short of the pit lane entrance, his visible anger unmistakable as the session slipped away. The team later traced the stoppage to a suspected water pressure issue tied to the ERS system.
“It was 100 metres away from the garage, but probably the problem was bigger than anything possible to do in the garage,” Alonso said. “So yeah, the safest thing for everyone else also on track was to stop – and I followed the instruction.” When asked if optimism had been high following his strong Friday showing, the two-time World Champion replied simply: “I was…”
While a spot in Q3 might have been a bridge too far, a decent result vanished into thin air. Looking at the practice data, Alonso noted they hovered around P11, P12, and P13, suggesting a realistic finish in that window had been on the table. The AMR26 package has surprisingly suited the venue better than expected, a trait the veteran attributed to the layout itself. With fewer straights and low grip forcing drivers off full throttle, the track demands less power sensitivity.
Now, the experienced Spaniard faces an uphill battle from P18 on the grid at a circuit where dirty air and traffic spell disaster. Dealing with severe temperature management issues across the field means following other cars closely is virtually impossible, sealing a bleak outlook for race day. “So, there is not much we can do – and I think we lost a big opportunity,” Alonso said. “So frustration is beyond imagination. But this is the story of the year.”
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