F1 Mexican GP Qualifying Results: Title race takes EXCITING twist with shock pole

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in Austin — Photo: © IMAGO

Mexican Grand Prix Qualifying

F1 Mexican GP Qualifying Results: Title race takes EXCITING twist with shock pole

All the times from the Mexican Grand Prix qualifying session

By Chris Deeley.

Sunday 27 October 2024 00:30

Both Max Verstappen and Lando Norris were beaten in Saturday's qualifying session for the Mexican Grand Prix, with 12 minutes of brilliance from Carlos Sainz delivering the two fastest laps of Q3.

Verstappen will start alongside him on the front row despite having his first flying lap deleted for exceeding track limits, with Lando Norris set for a powerful slipstream down to the first corner after qualifying third.

Article continues under video

Charles Leclerc qualified fourth, just five thousandths of a second behind Norris, giving Ferrari two cars in the top four as they close the narrow constructors' title gap to their two rivals – neither of whom even have two cars in the top 17.

Home hero Sergio Perez was knocked out of the session at the first time of asking, compounding a miserable season. The Red Bull star had been complaining on team radio earlier in the session that he was struggling to slow his car down into low-speed corners.

The Australian had one lap deleted for a track limits violation midway through the session, but even that deleted time wouldn't have been enough to send him through to the final 15.

No surprise names were eliminated in Q2, which was red flagged in the dying seconds when Yuki Tsunoda hit the barriers while winding up for his final flying lap.

Here are the times from qualifying in Mexico:

F1 Qualifying Results: Mexican Grand Prix 2024

1. Carlos Sainz [Ferrari] - 1:15.946sec
2. Max Verstappen [Red Bull] - +0.225sec
3. Lando Norris [McLaren] - +0.314sec
4. Charles Leclerc [Ferrari] - +0.319sec
5. George Russell [Mercedes] - +0.410sec
6. Lewis Hamilton [Mercedes] - +0.705sec
7. Kevin Magnussen [Haas] - +0.940sec
8. Pierre Gasly [Alpine] - +0.946sec
9. Alex Albon [Williams] - +1.119sec
10. Nico Hulkenberg [Haas] - +1.419sec