Mexico - Qualifying

Last week, Max Verstappen did the impossible and put himself back in the fight for the main prize, the World Drivers' Championship. Now, on the stunning Mexican circuit, he has the chance to strengthen his position as a viable candidate for the title. Will he do what many desperately want him to, or will he fall behind once more, defeated by McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris? 

There has been a trend when it comes to McLaren drivers. While Norris seems to have regained his footing and the ability to get better with every passing week, the exact opposite is true for his teammate, Piastri. After the series of runs, the Australian was more than 0.7s behind the Brit. It didn't matter in the end as both of them made it through to Q2, and neither held the fastest time of the first session. That honour went to Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar. On the other end of the leaderboard, Gabriel Bortoleto, Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly, Lance Stroll, and Franco Colapinto made up the dreaded elimination zone. 

Piastri's struggles continued during the second part of qualifying. After the first series of runs, he placed toward the back of the grid, with more than a second separating him from his teammate. He was in danger for most of the session and just barely made it into Q3. Other drivers weren't as lucky. Yuki Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon,  Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso, and Liam Lawson ended their day earlier than they may have hoped to. Qualifying was particularly tough for Lawson, who was forced to abandon not one but two timed attempts in Q2, after some lap-ruining mistakes. 

While the eyes of everyone were laser-focused on the McLarens, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc performed a monstrous lap that put him on the provisional pole. When Norris embarked on his second attempt, he was dead-set on taking it away from the Monegasque. His lap was unbelievable, even for the man himself, and secured him the coveted pole. No other driver, Leclerc included, was close to his effort. At the same time, his teammate and main championship rival, Oscar Piastri, finished at a disappointing P8. 

UPDATE: Due to a penalty given after the race in Austin, Carlos Sainz received a 5-place grid penalty.

Order of the grid:

1. Lando Norris

2. Charles Leclerc

3. Lewis Hamilton

4. George Russell

5. Max Verstappen

6. Kimi Antonelli

7. Oscar Piastri

8. Isack Hadjar

9. Oliver Bearman

10. Yuki Tsunoda

11. Esteban Ocon

12. Carlos Sainz

13. Nico Hulkenberg

14. Fernando Alonso

15. Liam Lawson

16. Gabriel Bortoleto

17. Alex Albon

18. Pierre Gasly

19. Lance Stroll

20. Franco Colapinto