F1 Mexico GP qualifying report: Ferrari on pole with Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc in P4

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Scuderia Ferrari Spanish driver Carlos Sainz ended a 13-month wait to secure pole position, topping a dramatic qualifying session for the Mexico City Grand Prix that was filled with surprises at the 4.304-kilometre Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. One of the biggest shocks saw Oscar Piastri and Sergio Perez eliminated in Q1, setting them up to start side-by-side on the penultimate row of the grid for McLaren and Red Bull, respectively.

After the first laps in Q3, Max Verstappen initially claimed the fastest time but had his lap voided for cutting Turn 2. This left Verstappen under pressure to perform on his second attempt, but he was unable to match Sainz Sainz’s pace. The Ferrari driver delivered a brilliant second lap, securing pole with a time of 1:15.946, finishing nearly a quarter of a second ahead of Verstappen. Behind them, Lando Norris took third for McLaren, trailing Carlos Sainz by over three-tenths, with Charles Leclerc in fourth for Ferrari. behind the wheel of the SF-24 car,

This pole marks Sainz’s first since his triumph in Singapore last year. Mercedes locked out the third row with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, while Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg placed Haas in seventh and tenth, flanked by Pierre Gasly’s Alpine and Alex Albon’s Williams.

Piastri and Perez Face a Tough Start
With track temperatures 10°C hotter than in final practice, the initial 18 minutes of qualifying saw rapid changes as the track evolved quickly, setting up an unpredictable session. The biggest upset came when both Piastri and a struggling Perez were eliminated in Q1.

After initially attempting laps on medium tires, all drivers shifted to softs, where Oscar Piastri seemed set to advance until he exceeded track limits at Turn 12. His deleted lap meant he had to attempt a second flying lap on worn soft tires, ultimately leaving him 17th on the grid. This marks Oscar Piastri’s first failure to reach Q3 this season, breaking his impressive streak.

Perez's struggles continued, and he appeared uncomfortable with his RB20 throughout, leading to an underwhelming 18th place starting position, with only Esteban Ocon and Zhou Guanyu behind him. Joining them in an early exit was Franco Colapinto for Williams, who made a costly error and will start 16th. Norris ultimately topped Q1 with a 1:16.505, three-tenths faster than Carlos Sainz.

Tsunoda Brings Out Red Flag in Q2
In Q2's 15-minute session, Norris set the benchmark with a 1:16.301, gaining an advantage with a slipstream from Nico Hulkenberg. This time remained unbeaten as a red flag came out just before the session's end when Yuki Tsunoda slid into a barrier at Turn 12, sealing his 11th place start.

The incident also hindered Tsunoda's teammate Liam Lawson, who had started a personal best lap but ultimately couldn't improve. He'll line up in 12th. Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were also caught out by the red flag, unable to complete their laps and ending up in 13th and 14th, respectively, while Valtteri Bottas of Stake finished 15th, failing to reach Q3 for the first time in Mexico.

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