Max Verstappen edged out title rival Lando Norris as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz claimed pole place on the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix. Norris trails Verstappen by 57 factors within the drivers’ championship with 5 races remaining and 146 factors up for grabs and desires to begin making main inroads into the Dutchman’s benefit.
McLaren failed of their bid to overturn Norris’ controversial penalty which demoted him behind Verstappen in Austin final weekend – a end result the British driver labelled a “momentum killer” in his pursuit of a maiden title. And people hopes suffered an extra blow as Norris might solely end third in qualifying for Sunday’s 71-lap race, a spot behind his title rival and over three-tenths off the tempo of pole-sitter Sainz.
Norris topped the primary two periods of qualifying however had no reply to the blistering lap of the Spaniard, along with his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc taking fourth on the grid. Verstappen has gained 5 of the final six Grands Prix in Mexico and is bidding for a fourth win in a row on the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Sunday.
The Purple Bull driver endured a tough run-up to qualifying, affected by engine points which restricted his operating on Friday earlier than complaining of a scarcity of grip in last follow. However the Dutchman will likely be delighted to have pulled it collectively for qualifying and can hope to maintain Norris at bay on the prolonged 768-metre blast down to show one.
George Russell will line up fifth for Mercedes, a spot away from team-mate Lewis Hamilton. Norris won’t have help from team-mate Oscar Piastri after the Australian suffered a dramatic dip in kind – being knocked out within the first a part of qualifying having been quickest in last follow simply hours earlier.
In a blow to McLaren’s constructors’ title bid, Piastri certified solely seventeenth and was joined in a Q1 elimination by Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez. The Mexican, who admitted on Thursday he had endured a “horrible season”, disenchanted his raucous residence help by ending a lowly 18th as strain intensifies on his Purple Bull future.
McLaren lead Purple Bull by 40 factors, with Ferrari solely an extra eight factors adrift.
11:27 PM BSTFerrari solely path McLaren by 48 factors within the standings
Piastri is out of the equation on the entrance of the sector, while Norris is behind one Ferrari and forward of the opposite. In the event that they end the place they begin tomorrow then that hole will come all the way down to 26. Given the shape they’re displaying not too long ago, Ferrari might sneak this constructors’ title. Sadly for Purple Bull, Perez’s performances are why they’re on this place within the first place and he doesn’t appear to be a lot use now, both.
11:19 PM BSTYou usually get very feisty opening laps in Mexico
What probability of a repeat of that tomorrow? Not particularly this crash from 2023 that eradicated Sergio Perez (above), however the motion. Verstappen is there, so a excessive probability of some argy-bargy.
11:15 PM BSTSainz speaks after a sixth profession F1 pole
Very joyful and yeah, an ideal couple pf laps. Quite a lot of instances round Mexico it feels such as you can not put a lap collectively. I put two strong laps in Q3 sufficient for pole and that’s not usually the case in Mexico with how difficult it’s. It looks as if we’re stepping into the correct route. Wanting ahead to complete the job tomorrow however pole place right now I’ll take it as a result of it reveals some progress.
I’ve stated it earlier than however it’s a disgrace he’s not going to a group that’s extra aggressive than Williams.
11:13 PM BSTVerstappen on his front-row begin
We have been enjoying catch-up [after not running much on Friday], FP3 wasn’t excellent. My lap time acquired taken away so added just a little bit extra strain. Very joyful to be on the entrance row, I didn’t count on that to be doable. I feel it’s most likely one of many hardest tracks to get proper. It’s one of many difficult ones on the calendar.
11:12 PM BSTNorris speaks after his P3
I’m fairly proud of third…I really feel like I acquired to the restrict of the automobile fairly rapidly which made us look good however I struggled to get extra out of it within the last two laps. Yeah, I’m proud of third. None of us have accomplished correct lengthy runs on the tyres we’re going to be on tomorrow… there’s query marks for all of us however Ferrari have accomplished [good long runs].
11:11 PM BSTWell, that was a enjoyable session
Errors from Hulkenberg and Hamilton on their last laps price them.
11:09 PM BSTQ3 – Classification
SAI 1:15.946
VER +0.225
NOR +0.314
LEC +0.319
RUS +0.410
HAM +0.705
MAG +0.940
GAS +0.946
ALB +1.119
HUL +1.419
11:08 PM BSTCARLOS SAINZ TAKES POLE FOR THE 2024 MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX
Each of his laps adequate for pole in Q3. Verstappen discovered a lap when he wanted it however it was not sufficient to beat Sainz. Norris’s lap wasn’t too unhealthy both however he simply didn’t have the supremacy he appeared to have in Q1 and Q2. Leclerc fourth forward of the 2 Mercedes led by Russell.
11:07 PM BSTQ3 – Verstappen as much as second!
He splits the Ferraris! Norris wants a mighty last sector, however he finishes third behind Verstappen by underneath a tenth!
11:06 PM BSTQ3 – A high quality first sector for Leclerc
And likewise for Sainz, who goes quicker nonetheless! Verstappen 0.087sec off Sainz’s earlier time and two-tenths down on their present ones. Sainz seems to be to be on the higher lap right here. Norris on Verstappen’s tempo however not the Ferraris…
Leclerc can not beat Sainz’s time however Sainz improves! Norris quickest within the center sector…
11:04 PM BSTQ3 – Norris on the radio
Seems like he’s barely nervous about his out lap and getting throughout the road in tip-top form.
11:03 PM BSTQ3 – Nonetheless unsure what occurred to Norris
He’s nearer to Hulkenberg in eighth than he’s to provisional pole man Sainz.
11:01 PM BSTQ3 – Order after first runs
SAI 1:16.055
LEC +0.360
RUS +0.454
HAM +0.596
NOR +0.882
GAS +1.214
ALB +1.283
HUL +1.526
MAG +2.049
VER (NO TIME)
11:00 PM BSTQ3 – Stress on each Verstappen and Norris then
However for differing causes. Verstappen as a result of he doesn’t have a lap on the board and Norris as a result of he has a not excellent lap on the board. Sainz acquired a superb slipstream behind Hulkenberg on that lap.
10:59 PM BSTQ3 – Leclerc narrowly misses out on provisional pole
However Sainz goes quickest of anybody by three-tenths. A high quality, high quality lap.
And Verstappen has his lap time deleted for observe limits! It was at flip two, reducing the nook. Presumably at flip three as nicely.
10:58 PM BSTQ3 – Verstappen crosses the road
It’s a 1:16.638. What has Norris acquired? He’s miles behind. Practically six-tenths. He by no means actually acquired near Verstappen, whose time remains to be slower than Norris’s main Q2 time. Hmmm.
Leclerc on a superb lap, Sainz with the quickest first sector of anybody!
10:57 PM BSTQ3 – Verstappen the primary of the massive weapons out
Magnussen and Hulkenberg set a 27.6 just below in sector one and Verstappen is 0.3sec up on that. He’s not competing with the Haas automobiles, after all. Norris is 1 / 4 of a second slower than Verstappen after one sector, although.
Max is flying right here.
10:56 PM BSTQ3 – One other point out for Haas
This observe was once once they would have inexplicably unhealthy performances, even going by their tendency for his or her in-season growth development to be poor. They’ve each automobiles in Q3 right here.
10:53 PM BSTQ3 begins!
Who’s within the battle for pole? Norris, Verstappen actually. Each Ferraris? Perhaps. Mercedes? Not a lot.
10:51 PM BSTA slight delay to qualifying
They’re simply checking/repairing the limitations after Tsunoda’s shunt. Q3 will begin at 10.53 BST, although.
10:46 PM BSTWe didn’t get a full learn on the automobiles there
Due to the crash on the finish. Norris clearly favorite right here, although. Replays present Tsunoda binned it within the stadium part, shedding the rear finish of the automobile on the out lap…
10:42 PM BSTQ2 – Classification
NOR 1:16.301
VER +0.213
SAI +0.214
LEC +0.340
RUS +0.636
HAM +0.672
ALB +0.687
HUL +0.694
MAG +0.702
GAS +0.747
These are the lads by way of to Q3.
10:41 PM BSTRED FLAG
Tsunoda is within the wall. Not an enormous crash however that brings an finish to the session and means he, RB team-mate Lawson, Alonso, Stroll and Bottas are all eradicated…
10:40 PM BSTQ2 – Ferraris cross the road
Sainz in third and Leclerc in fourth, having not set a lap time earlier than.
10:38 PM BSTQ2 – Albon improves
He strikes to fifth, having already out-qualified new team-mate Franco Colapinto. The Argentine has been giving him a run for his cash since he changed Logan Sargeant from Monza onwards. Albon might do with a superb points-scoring weekend right here the place he has the higher hand. A little bit of a dip in kind.
Leclerc with the quickest first sector of anybody.
10:37 PM BSTQ2 – Order after the primary runs
NOR
VER +0.328
RUS +0.636
HAM +0.672
SAI +0.726
GAS +0.747
ALB +0.789
TSU +0.828
LAW +0.861
ALO +0.867ELIMINATION ZONE:
MAG
STR
HUL
BOT
LEC
Leclerc has but to set a time.
10:35 PM BSTQ2 – Norris goes quickest
0.328sec up on Verstappen and quicker than his earlier finest in Q1. Russell in third, Hamilton fourth and Sainz fifth. Throughout half a second off Norris’s tempo. Unsure many individuals have the last word tempo to problem Norris right now by the seems to be of it. Perhaps solely Verstappen?
10:33 PM BSTQ2 – Sainz about four-tenths off Verstappen’s tempo
This has a tough qualifying session to get a grip on, and I feel the drivers are feeling that method, too. Straightforward to make a mistake at this observe, so low grip it’s.
One other good lap from Gasly who was, imagine it or not, slowest of all in FP3.
Pierre crosses the road P3 for his first timed lap of Q2 😎
Niceeeeeeee 👏
Thoughts you, Piastri was quickest and have a look at him now…
Norris is flying with the quickest first two sectors…
10:31 PM BSTQ2 – Verstappen’s early tempo
A 1:16.629, which is a few tenth slower than the quickest time in Q1. Leclerc crosses the road a second off, although seems to have used tyres on. I assumed Verstappen did too, thoughts you. Verstappen claimed the rear tyres have been a bit “low grip” in sector two. Misplaced a little bit of time driving the kerbs too. Leclerc really has his lap time deleted, I assume for observe limits.
10:29 PM BSTPiastri reacts after his early exit
“I simply went off in flip 12, acquired beached on the kerb there and that was it. My lap was simply going to be sufficient, it’s very irritating to have made that mistake. I misplaced a few second, so… painful.”
10:26 PM BSTQ2 begins!
quarter-hour and Alexander Albon is the primary man on the market, Verstappen not too far behind him.
10:26 PM BSTThis might be a low second for Perez’s profession
There have been so excessive moments together with a number of victories and a few podiums right here however, yeah, eradicated in Q1 at your own home race in arguably your worst season in F1 won’t be a fond reminiscence.
10:21 PM BSTQ1 – Classification
NOR 1:16.505
SAI +0.273
VER +0.298
LEC +0.467
MAG +0.620
GAS +0.644
TSU +0.677
HUL +0.681
ALB +0.684
RUS +0.689
HAM +0.801
ALO +0.802
LAW +0.875
BOT +0.888
STR +0.902
Consequence for Bottas, there. Into Q2!
10:20 PM BSTQ1 ends – Norris quickest
OUT: COL, PIA, PER, OCO, ZHO
10:19 PM BSTQ1 – Closing runs nonetheless underneath method
Perez additionally out, by the best way. Or does he have time to do one other lap? I don’t assume so. Ocon harrying across the stadium part to attempt to get on the market. Can he? No.
10:18 PM BSTQ1 – Magnussen goes fourth!
That dumps Piastri out! What a large number. How did that occur? Quickest in FP3 and out in Q1. Ouch, ouch, ouch.
10:17 PM BSTQ1 – Into the ultimate two minutes
Piastri has improved barely within the second sector as has Perez. Whether or not it will likely be sufficient I’m not certain…
Piastri crosses the road and goes 14th… that gained’t be sufficient, certainly. Perez fifteenth and the identical applies to him. Certainly it won’t as Leclerc strikes from close to the underside into third.
10:16 PM BSTQ1 – Dangerous information for Piastri…
His final lap, which solely noticed him transfer to thirteenth, has been deleted placing him nineteenth. Hmmm. I feel he would have needed to do one other lap anyway. Norris is at present quickest by almost half a second over Verstappen. Piastri does a settle down and battery cost lap and goes once more. No errors this time. Perez nonetheless within the drop zone.
Piastri struggling to seek out the tempo in sector one, as is Perez…
10:14 PM BSTQ1 – Russell into fourth
Hamilton not trying on not fairly pretty much as good, certainly he isn’t. Eighth quickest however 0.3sec off Verstappen. It’s tight on the market. Piastri within the drop zone, as is Perez. Piastri has moved onto the delicate tyres, properly I assume.
10:11 PM BSTQ1 – Leclerc doesn’t seem to have it attached
He’s down in ninth, 0.690sec off Verstappen. Hulkenberg goes second behind Verstappen by 0.188sec. Onerous to know what to make of this order thus far. Perez struggling to gradual the automobile down within the gradual velocity, I feel he says. Now Gasly strikes in to second.
10:10 PM BSTQ1 – Prime 10 and gaps
VER
NOR
SAI
STR
ALB
COL
HAM
LEC
RUS
ALO
Not price telling you the drivers within the drop zone as a result of solely considered one of them has set a lap.
10:08 PM BSTQ1 – Three purple sectors for Verstappen
Meaning he strikes prime by two tenths, 1.5sec quicker than his team-mate Perez…
10:08 PM BSTQ1 – Norris with a high quality lap
It’s 0.241sec quicker than Sainz with Hamilton in third, albeit 0.645sec down on Norris’s tempo. Piastri is about to cross the road within the different McLaren however he too is a great distance down, eighth quickest and a second down.
McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes and Purple Bull are straight out on medium tyres.
Norris units the benchmark after the primary flying laps, two tenths away from Sainz.
We see a replay on the second straight. Does he lock a brake? Sure, he does. Unsure it might have price him a second however making a large number of a nook in the beginning of the lap can have a compounding impact.
Verstappen going nicely, quickest within the first two sectors…
10:06 PM BSTQ1 – Ferrari leads the best way
Perez will get an enormous cheer within the baseball stadium complicated however his lap is poor, greater than a second down on chief Carlos Sainz, on the mediums each of the Ferraris.
10:05 PM BSTQ1 – A combination of medium and delicate tyres thus far
Ferrari and Mercedes on mediums, everybody else on the softs. Bottas and Zhou have each set lap instances, with Bottas the quicker of the 2 Sauber’s by 1.5sec. Zhou isn’t going to be racing in F1 subsequent 12 months and that isn’t undeserved, I’m afraid.
10:03 PM BSTQ1 – No one that determined to get out on the very begin
A few minutes in and we get a superb few automobiles out. Scorching observe temperature right now.
10:01 PM BSTGREEN LIGHT! Q1 is go!
They’re underneath method in Mexico Metropolis.
09:57 PM BSTFive minutes till Q1 begins
Just below, in reality. It’s good to sit up for each aggressive session with just a little little bit of uncertainty and pleasure isn’t it? We had a little bit of that in the beginning of 2022 till Ferrari and Leclerc’s problem pale. Then we simply had Purple Bull dominance for over a 12 months. Fortunately F1 is in impolite well being in the mean time. Get pleasure from it whilst you can as a result of it’s not and won’t all the time be like this. Mr Norris is prepared…
09:50 PM BSTRemaining F1 races in 2024
October 27: Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix, Autodromo Hermanos RodriguezNovember 3: Sao Paulo Grand Prix, InterlagosNovember 23: Las Vegas Grand PrixDecember 1: Qatar Grand Prix, LusailDecember 8: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina
Sao Paulo subsequent weekend and Qatar are each dash weekends. I feel we’ll most likely see the drivers’ championship wrapped up in Qatar. Verstappen must be 53 factors forward after the dash there which doesn’t appear too far off. Or, after the race, simply 27 factors forward of Norris (Leclerc nonetheless in mathematical rivalry).
Vegas can also be a chance, needing to be 61 factors forward by the point the race has completed. Not too outlandish.
09:45 PM BSTNot fairly a retro livery from Williams this weekend
However almost…
Yellow was an enormous a part of the group’s id (or relatively, branding) throughout the Nineteen Eighties and early Nineteen Nineties. Want we’d see extra yellow. And black. Yellow and black is all the time a winner. Appeared pretty much as good on the 2019 Renault because it did on the 1999 Jordan of Damon Hill’s final season.
09:38 PM BSTCurrent constructor standings
On present kind, McLaren’s greatest risk is Ferrari and never Purple Bull. Because the return from summer season break, McLaren have scored 178 factors in comparison with the Scuderia’s 151, Purple Bull’s 96 and Mercedes’ 78. Mercedes have failed to seek out the shape that helped them to a few wins within the 4 races earlier than the mid-season hiatus.
09:26 PM BSTAn different championship outlook
How totally different may issues have been if McLaren’s automobile was on the tempo from the beginning of the season? Properly, it might be nearer however Norris has not precisely maximised his equipment since his maiden victory in Miami. In actual fact, listed below are the factors whole by driver because the begin of that weekend in Florida.
Factors totals since Chinese language GP (14 rounds)
Verstappen 244
Norris 239
Piastri 209
Leclerc 199
Hamilton 158
Sainz 146
Russell 134
Perez 65
Whether or not or Norris ought to have accomplished higher than that is one factor (sure he ought to have). What this reveals how shut it has been since then, with simply 98 factors separating first and sixth on this listing, or a median margin of seven factors per spherical. This has been a really pleasurable F1 season.
Perez an enormous outlier on this as he has lower than half the next-best man. He’s very lucky to be in that seat. Whether or not he will likely be in the beginning of subsequent 12 months I’m not certain. If Lawson carries on like he did in Austin…
09:22 PM BSTCurrent driver standings
5 rounds and two of these dash weekends left within the season. Norris misplaced floor to Verstappen in Austin and while it doesn’t precisely finish his hopes of the drivers’ title, it makes it a gargantuan process. Purple Bull appear to have gotten on prime of the worst of their issues.
Norris’s greatest hope is Verstappen having a DNF. Even have been Norris to win with Verstappen not ending this weekend 32 factors over the remaining races remains to be so much to make up.
09:14 PM BSTIf you missed it, right here’s the Albon/Berman crash from FP1
RED FLAG! 🚨
Contact between Alex Albon and Ollie Bearman with each drivers okay and out of their automobiles 🟥
09:13 PM BSTAston Martin’s struggles
Within the races up till and together with Canada, they scored 58 factors, since then (10 rounds) they’ve scored simply 28 factors. In the identical time Haas have scored 31, Williams 15 and RB and Alpine eight. That could be a poor return contemplating the sources at their disposal. You’re feeling that it has nothing to do with Alonso’s driving. No matter issues have occured they haven’t been capable of develop their method out of it. Given the place they began in 2023, it is a worrying development – particularly when the rules principally carry over into 2025.
09:08 PM BSTFernando Alonso’s four-hundredth F1 race entry this weekend
Technically not his four-hundredth grand prix begin however his four-hundredth weekend involvement. His Aston Martin group are struggling within the excessive in the mean time and there may be most likely solely the skin probability of factors this weekend. Thoughts you, that has been the case for some time. If factors are on provide he gained’t be distant, thoughts you…
09:04 PM BSTTimes after last follow
PIA 1:16.942
NOR +0.059
SAI +0.340
VER +0.511
HAM +0.568
LEC +0.740
TSU +0.810
RUS +0.849
MAG +0.982
LAW +1.002
ALB +1.019
BOT +1.174
COL +1.220
PER +1.295
ALO +1.306
HUL +1.327
STR +1.408
OCO +1.832
ZHO +1.936
GAS +1.962
08:52 PM BSTGood night
Welcome to our protection for qualifying for the 2024 Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix on the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. F1 returned right here in 2015 and now we have seen a race (whether or not the Mexican Grand Prix or this one) yearly apart from the pandemic-blighted 12 months of 2020. Has it been a worthy addition to the calendar? Sure, on the entire.
The altitude in addition to the observe structure has produced some good moments, although this occasion has not been with out its duller editions. Although what race observe hasn’t had a couple of duds over a decade or so? And, naturally, how good a race is relies on how shut the competitors is just too. In the meanwhile it is vitally shut, which usually makes for an attention-grabbing weekend.
Sure, the difficulty over observe limits and racing guidelines has rumbled on into this weekend and can little question proceed past. However there have been a couple of different speaking factors because the weekend started, particularly a few large crashes in follow yesterday. The primary got here when Alexander Albon and Oliver Bearman (subbing in at Ferrari) collided in FP1 which was an odd incident.
Then got here George Russell’s hefty crash in FP2, which resulted in a visit to the medical centre, due to a 30G influence. Fortunately he’s OK now however it follows on from his crash in qualifying final week in Austin, along with his team-mate Lewis Hamilton crashing early within the race. An costly week or so for Mercedes.
FP3 completed a short time in the past and McLaren appeared the category of the sector. Oscar Piastri – who was relatively and unusually distant from team-mate Lando Norris in Austin – topped the sector by lower than a second over the second McLaren. Carlos Sainz was the closest non-McLaren driver, 0.340sec off Piastri’s time. Max Verstappen was fourth for Purple Bull, albeit half a second off the last word tempo.
Qualifying will get underneath method at 10pm BST and we will likely be right here for the entire build-up, stay updates and response from it.
