Alonso calls Aston Martin’s Mexico City qualifying woes ‘beyond imagination’ after power‑unit failure

Fernando Alonso described his disappointment after a sudden power‑unit failure forced Aston Martin to abandon a promising qualifying run in Mexico City on Sunday. The Spaniard, who had been on a strong pace in the early phases of Q2, said his "frustration is beyond imagination" as the team was forced to revert to a backup engine that left them at the back of the grid for the race.

According to Formula1.com, the issue emerged just as Alonso was setting a lap that could have seen him qualify inside the top ten. The team’s engineers detected a loss of boost pressure and, following protocol, switched to the spare unit. The backup, however, was not optimised for the high‑altitude conditions of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, resulting in a significant loss of power.

Aston Martin’s technical director, James Allison, later confirmed that the failure was linked to a component in the hybrid system that struggled with the thin air at the circuit. "We had a perfect set‑up for the qualifying run, but the power‑unit issue was a hard stop," he said. The setback not only compromised Alonso’s starting position but also handed a strategic advantage to rivals such as Red Bull and Ferrari, who will now start from the front rows.

In the broader championship context, the incident could tighten the battle for the Constructors’ title. Aston Martin currently sits third in the standings, but a poor finish in Mexico could see them overtaken by mid‑field teams that capitalize on the points. Alonso, who is currently fifth in the Drivers’ standings, will need to recover heavily in the race to keep his title hopes alive.

For India: The Mexican Grand Prix will be broadcast live on FanCode with commentary in English and Hindi. The race starts at 02:00 IST on Sunday, giving Indian fans a convenient early‑morning slot. Fans can also follow live timing on the official F1 app, which offers a dedicated Indian feed. Keep an eye on the post‑race analysis on FanCode’s YouTube channel for a deeper dive into how the power‑unit issue affected Aston Martin’s strategy.

Source: Formula1.com