F1 Mexico Grand Prix LIVE: Qualifying times and updates after Sainz beats out Verstappen and Norris
The Ferrari claimed pole position at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez but Max Verstappen held off Lando Norris to claim a place on the front row
The F1 season resumes in Mexico City with Carlos Sainz on pole ahead of Max Verstappen, who edged out Lando Norris for the front row as the pair lock horns after their highly contentious battle in Austin last week.
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez hosts the Mexican Grand Prix with Sainz impressing in the Ferrari in qualifying, with Charles Leclerc, who produced a sensational drive to claim victory at the US Grand Prix, starting in fourth.
George Russell and Lewis Hamilton come next as Mercedes attempt to rediscover their form in the closing stages of the season.
Relive all the action from a thrilling qualifying and the build-up to the Mexico Grand Prix below:
Mexico Grand Prix 2024 - Qualifying updates
End of Q1
Can Piastri get out of the bottom five? He does, up to 14th, but it might not be enough.
Sergio Perez back down in the bottom five, it’s a dismal outing for the Red Bull star. Piastri is out too! Shocking!
Colapinto, Piastri, Perez, Ocon and Zhou are currently out... Can Stroll survive? He does!
Checo’s radio? “****!” You don’t need to hear what that bleep was to understand the context. Disaster for the Mexican.
1. Norris, 2. Sainz, 3. Verstappen, 4. Leclerc, 5. Magnussen
Mexico Grand Prix 2024 - Qualifying updates
4 mins to go in Q1
This could come down to the last drivers over the line.
McLaren going again on the soft tyres, it could be tight for a lot of drivers here. Piastri struggling once again, this is a stunner from FP3 to Q1...
Russell: “Are we safe?” Mercedes are blunt, “negative”.
Russell, incredulous, replies again: “Negative?” This will be tense, just over three minutes remaining.
Piastri in trouble? How much fuel does he have left? “That lap is deleted for track limits”.
1. Norris, 2. Verstappen, 3. Gasly, 4. Hülkenberg, 5. Albon
Mexico Grand Prix 2024 - Qualifying updates
6 mins to go in Q1
The stadium section of this track is quite spectacular and Alonso jumps up into the top five briefly.
“Yes, I cannot brake for low speed mate,” Perez says on the Red Bull radio. The track is producing a wild Q1, is anybody safe?
1. Verstappen, 2. Gasly, 3. Hülkenberg, 4. Norris, 5. Tsunoda
Mexico Grand Prix 2024 - Qualifying updates
9 mins to go in Q1
A shocker from Piastri, too, what is going on here?
Verstappen on the softs, purple in both sectors one and two... He’s quickest by two tenths.
A lot of understeer from the Dutch driver though.
1. Verstappen, 2. Norris, 3. Sainz, 4. Albon, 5. Colapinto
Mexico Grand Prix 2024 - Qualifying updates
12 mins to go in Q1
A little hop, skip and a jump from Checo there, out there on new softs.
The Mexican is roared on by the crowd, Norris not far behind.
The Red Bull is more than a second slower than Sainz, Martin Brundle is not impressed: “Oh dear...that is not particularly fast!”
1. Sainz, 2. Leclerc, 3. Alonso, 4. Stroll, 5. Bottas
Mexico Grand Prix 2024 - Qualifying updates
Here we go then... 18 mins to go in Q1.
Green light is on! No cars in the pit lane just yet... Remember, it’s hot out there, 44 degrees is the track temperature.
It’s 10 degrees hotter than the end of FP3, the drivers will be determined to remain hydrated out there.Here we go then... 18 mins to go in Q1.
Green light is on! No cars in the pit lane just yet... Remember, it’s hot out there, 44 degrees is the track temperature.
Mexico Grand Prix 2024 - Qualifying updates
“When you get back here, I realise how much support and energy these people give,” Red Bull’s Sergio Perez says.
“I’ve done it so many times, I know the main focus is on the track, the best way to make them happy is to give them a great race.
“It’s important to focus on the track, try to make the right moves, the most I can do is to give my all, I’ll try to do that this time.
“We understood a lot of our issues, the last year and a half, a lack of stability, which the team couldn’t spot where it was, but now it’s clearer, we elimate some of the problems, the car is feeling a lot better. I think we understand where the issue is, I think the next six months or so will be very important to come out on top.”
Mexico Grand Prix 2024 - Qualifying updates
Karun Chandhok on Franco Colapinto’s future in F1 after five points in four races since debuting.
“He's done a great job,” the Sky Sports F1 analyst says. “He's proven he deserves to stay, it's a shame there isn't a seat for him at Williams.
“They're keen to help him stay in F1, they want to keep him on a bungee chord. The only way is to let Williams have him on a loan deal, if you're RB, are you keen on that? I don't think it's a simple process.”
Mexico Grand Prix 2024 - Qualifying updates
“I’ll believe in it until it’s mathematically impossible, we can overtake the McLaren and the Red Bull as well,” says Charles Leclerc, who can still win the drivers’ championship, even if it is extremely unlikely.
“I mean, never say never. [But] even if we do everything perfectly, I feel like it will require a little bit of luck inside that to try and get that [drivers’] title, and we cannot really rely on luck.
“So, the drivers’ [championship] seems to be quite unlikely. But again, I will believe in it until it’s mathematically impossible.”
Leclerc is 22 points behind Norris, who trails Verstappen by 57 points. The Monegasque would need to win all five of the remaining grand prix, plus the sprint races, with Verstappen finishing on average fifth or worse in every race and setting no more than three fastest laps.
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