McLaren’s Lando Norris has secured an important pole within the 2025 System 1 title race on the Mexico Grand Prix, amid struggles for rivals Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri.
At Mexico Metropolis’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Norris fended off a problem from Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to safe his first pole for the reason that Belgian Grand Prix, toppling preliminary Q3 chief Leclerc with a 1m15.586s lap.
Hamilton was third forward of Russell, whereas reigning world champion Max Verstappen struggled for grip within the quick second sector and will solely handle fifth.
That was nonetheless higher than championship chief Oscar Piastri, who had regarded a step behind Norris all weekend and certified eighth behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Carlos Sainz, though the latter will take a five-place grid penalty.
Isack Hadjar and Oliver Bearman excelled to make it into Q3, and the rookie duo will share the fifth row on Sunday.
Q2: Piastri already suffers scare
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Pictures by way of Getty Pictures
Q2 was topped by Norris’ 1m16.252s, two tenths away from Hamilton and three forward of Russell, Verstappen and Sainz.
Within the different McLaren, Piastri laboured to advance to the highest 10 shootout. The Australian was tenth after the primary run, albeit on used comfortable tyres, however even on new softs the championship chief struggled to maintain up with the frontrunners.
Piastri finally superior in seventh, simply 0.079s forward of Eleventh-placed Yuki Tsunoda.
Alongside Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon and Nico Hulkenberg had been eradicated. Fernando Alonso was solely 14th within the quickest Aston Martin, whereas a botched ultimate lap price Fifteenth-placed Liam Lawson.
Q1: Hadjar leads whereas Albon qualifying wrestle continues
In Q1 it rapidly turned obvious monitor circumstances had been quickly enhancing, with drivers making an attempt to eke out two push laps on a single set of tyres because the monitor gripped up. It made for a jumbled-up order, with Racing Bulls rookie Hadjar topping the session from Hamilton, Russell and Norris.
Verstappen went by means of in ninth after struggling for adhesion by means of the high-speed sector two Esses, which might turn out to be a recurring theme, forward of Piastri.
Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto was the primary driver to be eradicated in sixteenth, adopted by one other poor exhibiting for Alex Albon within the Williams.
In the back of the sector, Alpine duo Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto had been cut up by Aston’s Lance Stroll, with Colapinto left to rue a mistake which ruined a extra promising trying lap.
Mexico Grand Prix – Qualifying
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