Alonso rues lost Mexico qualifying chance after power-unit problem

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An early Q1 stop left Alonso due to start 18th; he said P12 or P13 might have been possible with a good lap.

From the GPBeat newsroomPublished · 02 Nov 2026, 04:58 · 1 min

Fernando Alonso was left 18th on the grid for the Mexico City Grand Prix after a power-unit problem ended his qualifying in Q1. “Frustration is beyond imagination,” he said after the session.

His first Q1 lap put him at the top of the timesheets in the opening minutes. An urgent radio instruction from Aston Martin then told him to stop; he pulled up just short of the pit-lane entrance. The team said the suspected cause was a water-pressure issue linked to the ERS system. Alonso said stopping was also the safest choice for the other cars on track.

On Friday, Alonso had finished FP2 12th, 0.769 seconds behind the pace-setting Ferrari of Charles Leclerc. He said a place in Q3 was probably difficult, but a good lap might have put him around P12 or P13.

Before the race, Alonso was pessimistic about making progress from P18. He said high temperatures would be a problem for everyone and that a driver starting at the back could not follow cars closely.

Sources 01