Alonso’s 400th race marred by brake issue in Mexico

F1 veteran Fernando Alonso was forced to succumb to the unrelenting grip of misfortune last weekend in Mexico City after what should have been a celebration of longevity for the Aston Martin driver in his milestone 400th Grand Prix.

After a subdued performance in qualifying, Alonso launched his race from P13, gaining a position at the start. But any hopes of salvaging a memorable result at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez were soon dashed.

By lap 15, Alonso's day was over, as a result of his AMR24 developing a brake cooling issue that could not be resolved on track.

“It was okay, the start was good,” commented the 43-year-old Asturian, quoted by F1.com.

“Obviously a lot of action in front of us so we capitalized on that but apparently there was a bit of debris on the front brake ducts and the temperatures were over the moon.”

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The misfortune felt hauntingly familiar for the two-time world champion, whose landmark Grands Prix seemed cursed.

Back in 2013, his 200th race ended in disappointment in Malaysia with a crash. Five years later, his 300th race brought similar frustration, retiring in Abu Dhabi. In Mexico City, bad luck struck once more.

“We tried to mitigate that, moving the brake balance rearwards and different actions, but it was still not under control so unfortunately we had to retire the car – a bit unlucky today.”

When asked if the retirement stung more given the occasion, he spoke with the numbness of someone who's weathered too many disappointments.

“It hurts always the same, to be honest, when you don't see the checked flag. It doesn't matter which number,” he said.

The Spaniard's words were tinged with quiet acceptance of the team's struggles this season. Aston Martin, once a dark horse in the fight for points, has found itself looking in the midfield, grasping at the slightest glimmers of competitiveness.

As the laps dwindled away and his teammate Lance Stroll battled fruitlessly for a solitary point, the picture grew grimmer.

Alonso acknowledged the reality of their situation.

“We are here to compete,” he said. “In a way, when you have to retire the car it's better when you are not in a super competitive weekend.

“It was maybe unlikely to score points today so hopefully more luck will come and we come back stronger on the next race and next year here.”

But luck is a fickle companion, and Alonso knows that too well. A painful parallel unfolded in Stroll's race, who finished 11th after intense battles but ultimately 40 seconds adrift from the points-scoring positions.

The Canadian echoed the sentiment of a weekend without reward, saying, “A hard-fought race, we did everything we could today. “We just need to find some speed in the car.”

In the twilight of a remarkable career, Alonso's 400th Grand Prix was a stark reminder that no amount of experience can shield a driver from the sport's cruel blows.

There was no fanfare in Mexico City—only a quiet exit, a hint of debris in the brake ducts, and temperatures “over the moon.”

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