Alonso’s Mexico qualifying ends in failure. Aston Martin faces another Honda penalty. The frustration is “beyond imagination”.
Fernando Alonso cut a bitter figure after a Honda power-unit fault ended his Mexico City Grand Prix qualifying in Q1, leaving Aston Martin facing another difficult race weekend. A water-pressure problem linked to the energy recovery system surfaced after the two-time champion had already detected worrying power loss in final practice. The team told him to stop immediately rather than risk further damage to the unit, even though his car was only about 100 metres from the garage. He finished 18th on the timesheet and received a reprimand for leaving the cockpit without refitting his steering wheel. For a driver who believed the car had enough pace to challenge around the edge of the top ten, the F1 setback landed hard.
Alonso said the fault appeared too serious for a quick repair, making stopping on track the safest call for everyone. Honda has confirmed it will change power-unit components, which means a grid penalty awaits; the exact scale was not specified. This latest episode adds a sharp new edge to a season already defined by reliability concerns, and leaves frustration hanging over the team’s Mexico campaign.
