Sainz takes pole position in the Mexican GP

Carlos Sainz was the fastest in the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix qualifying, beating Max Verstappen by 0.225 seconds. The Spanish driver showed consistent pace, closing the session with a time of 1:15.946, securing the first spot on the grid for Sunday.

Verstappen, who leads the championship, lost his first fast lap in Q3 by exceeding track limits, forcing him to rely on his second attempt. With a time of 1:16.171, he secured second place, ahead of Lando Norris.

Norris and Leclerc chase the leaders

Lando Norris improved his lap on the second attempt and finished third, overtaking Charles Leclerc, who had to manage some issues with his car to secure fourth place in qualifying.

Mercedes in the mix

George Russell clocked a faster lap than his teammate Lewis Hamilton, securing the fifth position. Hamilton will start from sixth. Kevin Magnussen impressed by taking seventh place, with Pierre Gasly finishing in eighth.

Perez faces challenges in his home Grand Prix

Sergio Perez had a tough qualifying at home, being knocked out in Q1. The Mexican driver mentioned he has been facing brake issues in recent races, a problem that resurfaced, affecting his performance. He finished in 18th place, which will make his race more difficult, although he hopes to improve during the event.

Perez and his team are considering the option of starting from the pit lane, though the driver acknowledges the challenges that could bring for Sunday.

Incidents during the session

The qualifying session was interrupted by Yuki Tsunoda's crash at turn 12 during Q2, bringing out a red flag. This prevented drivers like Liam Lawson and Fernando Alonso from completing their fast laps. Both were eliminated along with Valtteri Bottas.

Oscar Piastri, who had shown good pace in practice, was also knocked out in Q1 due to errors in his laps and traffic issues.