F1 Qualifying Results: Max Verstappen title charge hits obstacle after disastrous session

McLaren star Lando Norris put down a lap which could decide the 2026 F1 world championship in qualifying for the Mexico Grand Prix.

Not only did the McLaren star put down a time a quarter of a second faster than anyone else on track, but his main rivals for the title will start down on the third and fourth rows of the grid.

Ocsar Piastri could only qualify down in eighth (seventh when Carlos Sainz's penalty is applied) as the championship leader appeared significantly less confident at the wheel of his MCL39, especially in comparison to his team-mate, who made keeping Max Verstappen off his back look easy on Saturday.

The Dutchman also appeared to struggle consistently in qualifying and will start Sunday's race down in fifth.

One year on from Ferrari's last grand prix win with ex-driver Sainz, his replacement Lewis Hamilton will be starting from a beneficial spot on the second row alongside George Russell on Sunday, with Charles Leclerc's P2 qualifying position meaning he will line up alongside Norris on the front row.

Here are the full results from the Mexican GP qualifying at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

F1 Qualifying Results: Mexican Grand Prix 2025

How does F1 Qualifying work?

The qualifying session is split into three short windows, which provide a dramatic prelude to Sunday's race.

The bottom five drivers are eliminated at the end of Q1, with a further five eliminated after Q2.

Then, Q3 provides a shootout between the remaining 10 drivers in the battle for positions at the front of the grid.

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