ROUND 19 | MEXICO CITY

Racing in rarefied air

GRAND PRIX REACTION
Mexico Sunday header portrait

An issue with the power unit resulted in an early end to the Grand Prix for our drivers. Read on to learn more and hear from our team. 

  • Fernando began the race from P17, while Lance started in P19. Both drivers opted for Softs. 

  • Unfortunately, both cars began to experience abnormal pressure levels in the PU systems.

  • Our drivers made pitstops at the end of Lap 3. Shortly after, Fernando pitted again to retire to the car, and Lance was asked to stop his car on track to avoid damaging the battery.

  • Lance and Fernando will be back for the final part of this triple-header, the São Paulo Grand Prix on 6-8 November.

THE LATEST FROM THE TRACK

Fernando Alonso
14
FernandoAlonso
  • Postion

    7TH

  • Fastest lap

    1:19.357 (MEDIUM)

  • Laps

    29

  • Max. speed (KM/H)

    341.7

Jak Crawford
34
JakCrawford
It was my first time in the car with the new engine so lots of things to learn compared to my last practice sessions.

"It was a decent day for me despite an early end to the session. We had to stop the car on track due to a battery issue, but still managed to get some good running in today.

"Everything was going to plan up until that point so still useful mileage in a Formula One car for me and I enjoyed it.

"It was my first time in the car with the new engine so lots of things to learn compared to my last practice sessions and also to take away for my work in the sim.

"It felt quite low grip out there today and obviously we’re also trying to adapt to the conditions as much as possible to get the car in a good window."

  • Postion

    19TH

  • Fastest lap

    1:20.803 (MEDIUM)

  • Laps

    15

  • Max. speed (KM/H)

    331.5

Lance Stroll
18
LanceStroll
Hopefully we can find some learnings ahead of tomorrow.

"We have been struggling a bit here all weekend, mainly with the car balance. I also feel something is not quite right at the rear, and we are also struggling with a lot of engine braking issues.

"We don't really understand why yet, so hopefully we can find some learnings ahead of tomorrow.

"I think the race is going to be quite difficult for us, especially in terms of cooling the car."

  • Postion

    20TH

  • Fastest lap

    1:19.631 (SOFT)

  • Laps

    24

  • Max. speed (KM/H)

    342.5

Fernando Alonso
14
FernandoAlonso
We feel a little closer today than we have at previous events.

"It has been a solid Friday in terms of performance here in Mexico, and we feel a little closer today than we have at previous events.

"It is always a challenging circuit, so it is encouraging to start the weekend on a positive note.

"The altitude brings its own difficulties, but we will keep working overnight and aim to get the most out of the car tomorrow and on Sunday."

  • Postion

    12TH

  • Fastest lap

    1:18.596 (SOFT)

  • Laps

    30

  • Max. speed (KM/H)

    352.0

Pedro de‎	la Rosa
Pedrode‎ la
Fernando looked quite competitive in both the sessions today.

"Fernando looked quite competitive in both the sessions today. The car was working well in the low-speed corners, which maybe made us look a bit more competitive than usual.

"It was good to give Jak another opportunity in the car in FP1, but the battery issue cut short his session slightly. We need to investigate the issues with Lance's car because it was very difficult to drive.

"We will try and find solutions for tomorrow. As we see every year, cooling is a big challenge for all teams, and we need to keep an eye on temperatures across the weekend."

Lance Stroll
18
LanceStroll
  • Postion

    18TH

  • Fastest lap

    1:19.376 (SOFT)

  • Laps

    21

  • Max. speed (KM/H)

    339.6

Fernando Alonso
14
FernandoAlonso
  • Postion

    14TH

  • Fastest lap

    1:18.850 (SOFT)

  • Laps

    25

  • Max. speed (KM/H)

    336.9

Lance Stroll
18
LanceStroll
Hopefully we can find some learnings ahead of tomorrow.

"We have been struggling a bit here all weekend, mainly with the car balance. I also feel something is not quite right at the rear, and we are also struggling with a lot of engine braking issues.

"We don't really understand why yet, so hopefully we can find some learnings ahead of tomorrow.

"I think the race is going to be quite difficult for us, especially in terms of cooling the car."

  • Q1

    1:19.072 – 20TH (SOFT)

  • Laps

    10

  • Max. speed (km/h)

    340.2

Fernando Alonso
14
FernandoAlonso
It was a frustrating way to end what had been looking like a promising Qualifying.

"It was a frustrating way to end what had been looking like a promising Qualifying. The car felt good, and we seemed to be in the fight for a place in Q2.

"Unfortunately, an engine issue meant we had to stop, and there was nothing more we could do at that point. We will look into exactly what happened, but with the cooling challenges we are facing, tomorrow is going to be difficult.

"We will do what we can and keep pushing as a team."

  • Q1

    1:18.908 – 18TH (SOFT)

  • Laps

    4

  • Max. speed (km/h)

    340.0

Lance Stroll
18
LanceStroll
We had an issue and had to stop the car on Lap 6 to avoid damaging the battery.

"We had an issue and had to stop the car on Lap 6 to avoid damaging the battery.

"A tough day for the team, who have worked long hours this whole weekend.

"Still, there's plenty to think about with the car and only a few days before we head to Brazil. We'll see what we've got there."

  • Position

    DNF

  • Started

    19TH

  • Fastest lap

    1:23.696 (Lap 2) (SOFT)

  • Pitstops

    1

  • Tyres

    Soft

  • Laps

    5

  • Max. speed (km/h)

    350.6

Fernando Alonso
14
FernandoAlonso
I will continue to give everything I can as we look ahead to Brazil next week.

"A frustrating end to the day. We knew it was going to be tough, but having to retire the car so early is disappointing.

"The same MGUK issue that stopped us in Qualifying reoccurred and forced us to stop.

"Days like today bring hard lessons, but we are learning. I'm doing my best to stay motivated and will continue to give everything I can as we look ahead to Brazil next week."

  • Position

    DNF

  • Started

    17TH

  • Fastest lap

    1:23.544 (Lap 2) (SOFT)

  • Pitstops

    1

  • Tyres

    Soft

  • Laps

    5

  • Max. speed (km/h)

    343.6

Adrian Newey
AdrianNewey
It has been a disappointing day.

"It has been a disappointing day, especially as Fernando showed very good pace all weekend."

Mile-high (and a bit) at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez

It's impossible to not grin from ear to ear at the Mexico City Grand Prix. With the Foro Sol stadium behind, and the main grandstand in front, the pitlane at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez sits in the middle of a cauldron of noise; it's an astounding place to go racing.

Both cars showed strong performance in Austin last week, with the race compromised by a front wing change for Fernando and a pitlane start for Lance. The middle race in this triple of triple-headers presents an opportunity to examine that pace more thoroughly, on a maximum downforce circuit that challenges every part of car design.

And Third Driver Jak Crawford is back in the car for FP1, subbing for Lance. This will be his fourth FP1 session of the season, completing our obligations to provide opportunities for rookies. Jak took his F1 bow at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez last year, completing 29 very valuable FP1 laps for us. So far this season, he has participated in FP1 sessions in Japan, Austria and Belgium.

RACE STARTS IN:

00days
00hrs
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2026 Mexico City GP

Official Timing Partner
Session Times
FP1
FP2
FP3
Quali
Race
Track map
  • Sectors
  • Turns
  • Straight Mode
  • Overtake Mode
Cooling for the cars is very challenging, so it's usually a tough one for reliability and physically because of the higher altitude.
Stoffel Vandoorne – Sim, Test & Reserve Driver
  • Number of corners
    17
  • Number of laps
    71
  • Race distance
    305.354km
DITL

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What does a day in the driver-in-the-loop simulator look like? Aston Martin Aramco Third Driver Jak Crawford shares his typical duties when working in the sim at the AMR Technology Campus.

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Fernando's fresh new lid

Win the special-edition helmet

Pepperstone has taken over Fernando Alonso's helmet for the Mexico City Grand Prix – and you could win a replica of this one-of-a-kind design.

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Fernando's Mexico lid

Fernando will race with a specially designed Pepperstone helmet this weekend, as we celebrate an extension and enhancement of our partnership. Tap to see more of the lid.

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