After a Friday that was not particularly brilliant in single-lap performance, Lando Norris responded in emphatic fashion, securing a crucial pole position at a critical stage of the season. The McLaren driver snatched the pole from Charles Leclerc at the last second, with Ferrari still securing a front-row start. Max Verstappen will start only fifth, while Oscar Piastri is in eighth.
McLaren aimed to make a statement with the MCL39 in qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix, and Lando Norris lived up to Andrea Stella’s expectations by taking his fifth pole of the season, the 14th of his career. The English driver executed flawlessly, clocking a 1’15”586 on the soft tires. Norris seems determined to become McLaren’s lead driver in the fight for the championship, as Oscar Piastri, struggling in eighth, continues a challenging run. It falls to Norris to keep Max Verstappen in check.
The high-altitude race, with its very thin air, could become a turning point in the championship battle. Norris is entering the final stretch of the season in stunning form, aware that his teammate, the championship leader, is grappling with psychological difficulties. The driver who once seemed mentally unshakeable is now showing cracks. While Piastri may try to defend against Verstappen, Norris comes into the race with the strongest long-run performance, making him the key factor.
Piastri’s role will effectively play into Norris’ hands. The British driver will have two allies in the Ferrari drivers: the Scuderia continues to improve, with Charles Leclerc second on the grid, just 0.262 seconds behind the McLaren rocket. The Monegasque gave a tenth to Lewis Hamilton, who finally appeared in a more relaxed, smiling version, breathing the rarefied air of a podium contender. The two Ferraris could attempt a two-pronged strategy to lead into Turn 1, but the papaya car seems to possess potential that the SF-25 lacks, as Leclerc will have to manage tire temperatures with lift-and-coast driving.
Nevertheless, Ferrari found consistency, extracting the best performance from both cars thanks to a perfect launch lap. Behind the SF-25s is George Russell in the Mercedes: the Englishman’s final Q3 push complicated Max Verstappen’s race, leaving the world champion only fifth. The long straight leading to Turn 1 favors those chasing the pole sitter and who can use the slipstream. This time, Verstappen cannot rely on track position, and George Russell could become a disruptive factor for the two Ferraris, while Norris may have the opportunity to break away.
Verstappen had hoped Friday’s data would allow him to keep pace with Norris, but the world champion lost nearly half a second, and overnight work failed to yield the expected results. He will need to rely on his driving skills more than the RB21, which has shown Ferrari and Mercedes’ superiority at altitude.
Kimi Antonelli had a positive qualifying session, securing sixth on the grid, only 0.084 seconds behind Russell. This shows the Italian driver’s growth race after race, following a challenging summer.
Oscar Piastri will gain a grid position due to a penalty for Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard, who finished seventh with Williams, will drop five positions for the incident with Antonelli in Austin. This will also benefit Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) and Oliver Bearman (Haas), the last two Q3 qualifiers.
Yuki Tsunoda missed Q3 by just 0.012 seconds, edged out by Hadjar in the Racing Bulls. Esteban Ocon qualified 12th in the second Haas, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg in the Sauber, which struggled to find proper balance on a track demanding maximum downforce.
Fernando Alonso relied on experience to place the Aston Martin 14th, but the green car struggles at this high-altitude track. Liam Lawson also faced difficulties: in the first Q2 run, he returned to the pits despite having two intermediate sector times that could have put him in contention for tenth. A problem forced him to abort, and he failed to find the lap he wanted on the final attempt.
Gabriel Bortoleto disappointed, failing to make it out of Q1. The Brazilian finished ahead of Alexander Albon in a struggling Williams, who ended up 17th. Pierre Gasly maximized what he could with Alpine, taking 18th, while Franco Colapinto fell to last after an aggressive maneuver that sent him off the track, nearly losing the car.
Lance Stroll also had a poor session, qualifying 19th in the Aston Martin, while Alonso advanced relatively comfortably. The Canadian driver continues to struggle with the green car.
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