Alonso qualifies 18th after power-unit problem in Mexico

Fernando Alonso qualified 18th for the Mexico City Grand Prix after a power-unit problem forced him to stop during the first part of qualifying, ending his session before he could set another lap. Aston Martin instructed the two-time champion to pull over, and the stranded car prompted race control to red-flag Q1 with about 11 minutes remaining. Alonso had briefly topped the timesheets after his opening lap. He stopped near the pit-lane entrance, and the session was suspended while the car was recovered. The precise technical failure has not been established; reports described a power-unit problem, with one account linking it to a possible water-pressure issue associated with the energy recovery system. The result left Alonso 18th, outside the group advancing from Q1. He said Aston Martin had lost a significant opportunity and described his frustration as “beyond imagination.” His teammate Lance Stroll qualified 20th, according to the reported results. Alonso said his practice positions of 12th, 13th and 11th indicated that a stronger grid position might have been possible with a good lap. He estimated that 12th or 13th was a more realistic outcome, while acknowledging that...