Mexican Grand Prix – Qualifying: Ferrari secure a one-two ahead of Verstappen and Ricciardo

During the past 11 editions, 11 different drivers have secured the pole position. While Verstappen remained the clear favorite, there were still many mysteries behind the two Red Bulls.

Q1:

Under the hearty applause of his local supporters, Sergio Perez became the first among the top contenders to set a benchmark in the rankings. Unfortunately for Mexican fans, the joy was short-lived. Perez’s time was directly overshadowed by Verstappen’s 1’18’099, a time four and a half tenths faster than his teammate’s. While Lewis Hamilton was also far behind the Dutchman, he could boast of setting his 1’18’677 with yellow-banded tires.

Poleman in Mexico in 2018, Daniel Ricciardo no longer has the car to naturally climb to the top of the rankings. However, with external assistance, flashes of brilliance are still possible. Yuki Tsunoda, knowing that he was penalized on the grid after engine component changes, decided to be selfless in Q1 by giving the Australian a nice draft down the straight of the pit lane. This momentum allowed him to clock a time only 2 tenths slower than Max Verstappen.

However, despite being very comfortable during Free Practice 1 and 3, Alexander Albon struggled to replicate the impressive pace he had shown earlier in the first part of qualifying. The Thai driver complained on the radio that his tires were degrading too quickly, completely changing the behavior of his Williams. Struggling with his car, the former Red Bull driver only managed to set the ninth fastest lap time.

The higher the ascent, the harder the fall will be. After four consecutive podiums, Lando Norris was eliminated in Q1 of this Mexican Grand Prix. Having completed his first lap on medium tyres, the British driver then made a mistake on his second attempt with red tyres. The McLaren driver did not have a third chance after a yellow flag caused by Fernando Alonso’s off-track excursion prevented him from redeeming himself.

The first 18 minutes of qualifying were filled with incidents. Several drivers were under investigation for various reasons. Max Verstappen and George Russell were accused of obstructing the pit lane exit, while Lewis Hamilton was alleged to have gone too fast in sector 1, which was under yellow flag conditions.

List of eliminated drivers in Q1: Esteban Ocon (16th), Kevin Magnussen (17th), Lance Stroll (18th), Lando Norris (19th), and Logan Sargeant (20th).

Q2:

For the first time in nine Grand Prix races, Daniel Ricciardo was present on the list of participants in a Q3 session. The AlphaTauri driver, recovering from his wrist injury, was determined to take advantage of Sergio Perez’s end-of-year setbacks to establish himself as a potential candidate for the Mexican’s seat in 2025 or at best 2024.

The session was much more complicated for Albon, who was sliding at every turn. The behavior of his car was so unpredictable that the Thai driver wondered if it might be damaged. Despite his erratic vehicle, Alexander Albon managed to climb to 9th position. However, he was penalized by the FIA for going off track too much and therefore had to give up his spot among the top 10 to Guanyu Zhou.

At the mid-session, both Alfa Romeo cars were in the top 10. Despite missing the first free practice session in favor of Théo Pourchaire, Valtteri Bottas has consistently shown an impressive pace since he regained his car. After disappointing races in Singapore and Qatar, the improvements made by the Swiss-based team seem to be working well at the Mexico heights.

List of eliminations in Q2: Pierre Gasly (11th), Nico Hulkenberg (12th), Fernando Alonso (13th), Alexander Albon (14th), and Yuki Tsunoda (15th)

Q3:

Deprived of quick laps in Free Practice 3 after being hindered by Lance Stroll and Kevin Magnussen, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz surprised everyone by monopolizing the top positions. The Monegasque set a time of 1’17’166, just 67 milliseconds faster than his teammate and one tenth quicker than Max Verstappen’s 1’17’286.

Except for Bottas, Piastri, Perez, and Hamilton, no other drivers were able to improve their laps. This is a great surprise for Frédéric Vasseur’s team. Already a pole-sitter in Mexico in 2019, Charles Leclerc has once again secured the top spot on the starting grid. This is the 22nd pole position of the Monegasque’s career and the second consecutive one.

Under investigation after the first free practice sessions, Max Verstappen has to settle for third position. The Dutch driver shouldn’t be too affected by this defeat in qualifying. The long straight line of the circuit often transforms the pole position; since Mexico’s return to the calendar in 2015, the pole position has only been converted into victory on three occasions.

With his stratospheric top speed of 353km/h, Daniel Ricciardo confirmed his good pace by qualifying in fourth position on the grid. The Australian can boast of having beaten his rival for the Red Bull seat at home.

Below his teammate since the start of the qualifying session, Sergio Perez managed to close the gap on his teammate during his last lap in Q3, transforming his deficit of over 5 tenths into 1 and a half tenths. With a lot of cars ahead of him, the Mexican has the opportunity to give his fans a spectacular start on the grid tomorrow.