F1 Mexico Grand Prix LIVE: Qualifying times and updates as Lando Norris battles Max Verstappen for pole
F1 live updates from the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as Verstappen bids to strengthen his position against Norris, with McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari locked in a three-way battle for the constructors’ title
The F1 season resumes in Mexico City this weekend, following the highly contentious battle in Austin between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, who has won five of the last six races here.
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez hosts the Mexican Grand Prix in round 20 of the 2024 season with plenty up for grabs across the final five races.
Charles Leclerc produced a sensational drive to claim victory at the US Grand Prix with Ferrari impressing with a one-two thanks to Carlos Sainz.
The Scuderia are contending a fierce battle with McLaren and Red Bull for the constructors’ championship, with qualifying set to be vital here. Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes will bid to banish a nightmare weekend last time out in Texas.
Follow live updates from the Mexican Grand Prix with The Independent
Mexico Grand Prix 2024 - Qualifying updates
Q2 is underway! 11 mins to go...
Well then, that was quite remarkable, poor old Checo and Piastri will be livid, what on earth happened for the McLaren between FP3 and Q1, disaster!
Just 15 drivers left...
Piastri: “It just went off in turn 12, got beached on the curb, that was it. It’s very frustrating to make that mistake.
“It was about a second. It’s a tricky circuit, it wasn’t down to being tricky, I just made a very poor mistake, that was it.
“We had a similar position for Lando last year, I’ll do my homework how he went through the field and try and do the same.”
Mexico Grand Prix 2024 - Qualifying updates
Q1
Norris tops the session, edging out Sainz by 0.273 seconds.
Piastri, Perez, Colapinto, Ocon and Zhou all OUT!
The McLaren driver really suffered there, an absolute shocker after topping FP3.
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.”
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