Carlos Sainz secured a sensational pole position for the Mexico City Grand Prix, outpacing Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in a thrilling qualifying session that saw a red flag in Q2 and two surprising eliminations in Q1. This is the Spaniard’s first pole position this season and will be looking to claim his second win of the season after taking the chequered flag in Australia earlier in the season.
The Spaniard, set to depart the team at season’s end, recorded a time of 1:15.946 to edge out the championship leader and three-time champion Verstappen by 0.225 seconds after the Dutchaman’s initial fastest lap in Q3 was deleted due to exceeding track limits. This put McLaren’s Lando Norris, trailing Verstappen by 57 points in the drivers’ championship, in third place ahead of Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari, with Mercedes duo of George Russell and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton finishing 5th and 6th respectively.
Ahead of an impressive Kevin Magnussen, who secured seventh on the grid, was Pierre Gasly. Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg took ninth and tenth, with Hulkenberg losing a chance to advance after pushing too hard out of Turn 12 on his final lap. Yuki Tsunoda’s Q2 run ended abruptly when he crashed his RB into the wall near the Foro Sol section, triggering a red flag at Turn 12 and also cutting short teammate Liam Lawson’s attempt to improve his lap time.
The moment Yuki crashed out of qualifying 💥🔴#F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/Se0GM5u9jz
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 27, 2024
When asked about the satisfaction of potentially concluding his Ferrari tenure on a high note, Sainz remarked, “It’s very sweet, especially considering how good the car is and how well I’m driving lately. It leaves me feeling optimistic going into the final five races.”
“However, it’s also bittersweet because it makes me feel like Ferrari could be in contention for the world championship next year, and I won’t be there to compete. I believe I’ve played a significant role in this team over the past four years, working hard to prepare them for that championship battle next year, you know?”
Ferrari is still in contention for the Constructor’s championship and following a 1-2 finish in COTA last weekend, they would back themselves further narrow the lead at the top of the championship especially with Sergio Perez and Oscar Piastri starting at the back of the grid.
Shock early exits: Perez and Piastri bow out in Q1
Neither Norris nor Verstappen will have their ‘wingmen,’ Oscar Piastri and Sergio Perez, alongside them on the grid, as both were eliminated in the opening qualifying session. The Australian couldn’t replicate his FP3 form and failed to advance to the second qualifying phase, complicating his efforts by exceeding track limits and losing a crucial second. He believed that had he not gone beyond the Turn 12 curb, he would have secured a spot in the next phase.
Meanwhile, Perez faced an early exit in his home Grand Prix, struggling with braking issues in the low-speed corners throughout the session. He managed to reach 15th place on his final lap of the opening segment but was pushed down the order as Charles Leclerc made a crucial escape from the drop zone.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
