Aston Martin walked into Mexico City expecting a long weekend and instead found themselves seventh-quickest after Friday running. Fernando Alonso posted P7 in FP1 and closed to within 0.769 seconds of Charles Leclerc's benchmark in FP2 — a dramatic tightening from the multi-second deficits Aston Martin bled earlier this season.
The AMR26 wasn't built for Mexico's long straights, but the car is thriving in the circuit's abundant low-speed corners. Turns 1 through 6 and the entire final sector play to Aston's strengths, and Honda's turbo calibration has handled the 7,400-foot altitude without the lag that's historically plagued power units here. Pedro de la Rosa noted the low downforce environment favors experienced drivers who adapt faster — a tidy compliment to Alonso's feel.
Lance Stroll's side of the garage struggled with mechanical issues. If Aston Martin can sort that and hold this form through qualifying, the Silverstone squad might steal points in a race they wrote off weeks ago.
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