Fernando Alonso expresses his 'extreme frustration' following engine troubles during F1 Mexico GP qualifying.
Fernando Alonso expressed that his “frustration is beyond imagination” following a power unit issue that prematurely ended his qualifying session for the Formula 1 Mexico Grand Prix.
The Aston Martin racer secured 18th place with just one competitive lap, as his AMR26 came to a halt in the stadium section of Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez with 11 minutes remaining in Q1.
This was a heartbreaking moment for the two-time champion, who was the fastest of 11 drivers at that point, before ultimately falling into the elimination zone, finishing 0.387s shy of advancing to Q2.
“Significant issues with temperatures for everyone,” Alonso noted. “So, starting from the back, there’s no way to closely follow other cars or anything like that.
“There’s not much we can do now. I believe we missed a major opportunity. So, yes, the frustration is beyond imagination. But this has been the narrative of the year.”
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
As a result, Alonso missed out on a third chance to progress to Q2 in five races, after experiencing a resurgence in form following Aston Martin’s upgrades for Budapest and Zandvoort around the summer break.
When questioned about the possibility of even reaching Q3 in Mexico, Alonso, whose teammate Lance Stroll qualified 20th, replied: “Probably difficult.
“We were P12, P13, P11, so we were in the range. If we had a solid lap, maybe it was achievable, but I think that was likely too optimistic. Perhaps P13, P12 was our realistic position today.”
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