Leclerc will start ahead of his team-mate Carlos Sainz and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen after the one-hour qualifying session, which is split into three segments with five cars each being knocked out in Q1 and Q2 before the top-10 shootout of Q3.
Mexico Grand Prix grid: Leclerc on pole from Sainz
Cla | Nº | Driver | Car / Engine | Time | Delay |
1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1'17.166 | |
2 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 1'17.233 | 0.067 |
3 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'17.263 | 0.097 |
4 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1'17.382 | 0.216 |
5 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'17.423 | 0.257 |
6 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1'17.454 | 0.288 |
7 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'17.623 | 0.457 |
8 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1'17.674 | 0.508 |
9 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'18.032 | 0.866 |
10 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'18.050 | 0.884 |
11 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine/Renault | 1'18.521 | 1.355 |
12 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas/Ferrari | 1'18.524 | 1.358 |
13 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'18.738 | 1.572 |
14 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams/Mercedes | 1'19.147 | 1.981 |
15 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | - | - |
16 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine/Renault | 1'19.080 | 1.914 |
17 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas/Ferrari | 1'19.163 | 1.997 |
18 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'19.227 | 2.061 |
19 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'21.554 | 4.388 |
20 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams/Mercedes | - | - |
What happened in Mexico Grand Prix Q1?
Verstappen set the pace at 1m18.099s but was put under investigation for impeding cars at the end of the pitlane, as was George Russell in his Mercedes – while Lewis Hamilton was reported for not slowing his Mercedes enough under yellows.
The end of the session was quite the mess, as Fernando Alonso spun his Aston Martin at Turn 3 and caused a yellow flag.
Falling at the first hurdle were Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Kevin Magnussen (Haas), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Lando Norris (who suffered a disastrous session for McLaren) and Logan Sargeant (whose laps were deleted for Williams).
Mexico Grand Prix Q1 results: Verstappen fastest from Piastri
Cla | Nº | Driver | Car / Engine | Time | Delay | Laps |
1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'18.099 | 6 | |
2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'18.241 | 0.142 | 6 |
3 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1'18.341 | 0.242 | 3 |
4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1'18.401 | 0.302 | 5 |
5 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'18.429 | 0.330 | 5 |
6 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'18.553 | 0.454 | 6 |
7 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1'18.677 | 0.578 | 6 |
8 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 1'18.755 | 0.656 | 5 |
9 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams/Mercedes | 1'18.828 | 0.729 | 6 |
10 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'18.848 | 0.749 | 8 |
11 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1'18.890 | 0.791 | 7 |
12 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1'18.893 | 0.794 | 7 |
13 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine/Renault | 1'18.945 | 0.846 | 9 |
14 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas/Ferrari | 1'18.969 | 0.870 | 6 |
15 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'19.016 | 0.917 | 6 |
16 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine/Renault | 1'19.080 | 0.981 | 6 |
17 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas/Ferrari | 1'19.163 | 1.064 | 9 |
18 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'19.227 | 1.128 | 9 |
19 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'21.554 | 3.455 | 6 |
- | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams/Mercedes | - | - | 6 |
What happened in Mexico Grand Prix Q2?
Verstappen set the pace his first run of 1m17.625s and sat out the rest of the session, so Hamilton pipped him by 0.054s with his final lap.
Knocked out at this point were Pierre Gasly (Alpine), Nico Hulkenberg (Haas), Alonso, Alex Albon (Williams – who lost a top-nine time due to track limits) and Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri – who will start at the back due to engine change penalties).
Mexico Grand Prix Q2 results: Hamilton fastest from Verstappen
Cla | Nº | Driver | Car / Engine | Time | Delay | Laps |
1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1'17.571 | 6 | |
2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'17.625 | 0.054 | 3 |
3 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1'17.673 | 0.102 | 6 |
4 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1'17.706 | 0.135 | 6 |
5 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'17.874 | 0.303 | 6 |
6 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1'17.901 | 0.330 | 6 |
7 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'18.016 | 0.445 | 6 |
8 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'18.124 | 0.553 | 4 |
9 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 1'18.382 | 0.811 | 6 |
10 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'18.440 | 0.869 | 6 |
11 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine/Renault | 1'18.521 | 0.950 | 6 |
12 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas/Ferrari | 1'18.524 | 0.953 | 6 |
13 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 1'18.738 | 1.167 | 6 |
14 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams/Mercedes | - | - | 6 |
15 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | - | - | 4 |
What happened in Mexico Grand Prix Q3?
On the first runs, Leclerc leapt to the head of the field with a lap of 1m17.166s from Sainz, with Verstappen a tenth off the Ferraris.
On the final runs, the Ferraris didn’t improve but although Verstappen produced 1m17.263s, he stayed third.
AlphaTauri’s Daniel Ricciardo will start fourth, just pipping the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez, Hamilton, Oscar Piastri (McLaren), Russell and the Alfa Romeos of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.
Mexico Grand Prix Q3 results: Leclerc takes pole
Cla | Nº | Driver | Car / Engine | Time | Delay | Laps |
1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1'17.166 | 6 | |
2 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 1'17.233 | 0.067 | 6 |
3 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'17.263 | 0.097 | 6 |
4 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 1'17.382 | 0.216 | 6 |
5 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 1'17.423 | 0.257 | 6 |
6 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1'17.454 | 0.288 | 6 |
7 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren/Mercedes | 1'17.623 | 0.457 | 6 |
8 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1'17.674 | 0.508 | 6 |
9 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'18.032 | 0.866 | 6 |
10 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 1'18.050 | 0.884 | 3 |