All the top teams seemed in contention for pole this time around in Mexico City, but it was Lewis Hamilton that ended up in first place in what was his first pole for Ferrari. George Russell managed to take P2, with Leclerc behind in third.
Q1 Report:
Q1 began with red flags being waved 9 minutes into the session, and Fernando Alonso was forced to stop alongside the track in what could’ve been a strong qualifying result for the Aston Martin driver. Once the session resumed, there were 10 minutes left for the rest of the drivers to set some fastest laps. Ferrari still looked quickest, with Hamilton finishing at the top of the timesheets while Leclerc was third. However, Isack Hadjar was the one to split the pair, so don’t discount Red Bull, and McLaren and Mercedes will still firmly be in the fight for pole. Audi was a standout, with Bortoleto and Hulkenberg finishing sixth and eighth respectively.
The drivers who couldn’t put a fast lap on the board and were eliminated in Q1 were Alex Albon, Fernando Alonso, with a suspected power unit issue, Ryo Hirakawa, who is subbing in for Esteban Ocon at Haas, Lance Stroll, and the Cadillac pair Perez and Bottas.
Q2 Report:
Lando Norris was the driver to go fastest in Q2, but the shock of the session was his teammate Oscar Piastri, who failed to make it through to Q3 after making multiple mistakes and saying he had no rear grip. Verstappen was the car in second with Leclerc just behind, making it clear which teams are in contention for pole. Mercedes could not pull together similar lap times, with Antonelli and Russell in fifth and seventh respectively, but they have been known for coming back in Q3. Both Racing Bulls made it through to the top ten shootout, as did Pierre Gasly.
However, the drivers not progressing to Q3 are Nico Hulkenberg, Franco Colapinto, Oscar Piastri, Gabriel Bortoleto, Ollie Bearman, and Carlos Sainz.
Q3 Report:
It was truly a top ten shootout in Mexico, though it was Lewis Hamilton that finished at the top of the timesheets after Ferrari had been looking strong throughout the whole weekend. George Russell was able to pull together a solid flying lap to sit in P1 for a moment before being knocked down to P2, while Charles Leclerc will start third. Max Verstappen ended fourth, with Antonelli in fifth, Norris in sixth, and Hadjar behind in seventh. Lawson, Lindblad, and Gasly rounded out the top ten.
