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Lando Norris delivered a stunning lap to secure pole position for the Mexico City Grand Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos RodrÃguez, setting up a tantalising championship showdown on Sunday. The McLaren driver’s 1:15.586 was 0.262s clear of Charles Leclerc, with Lewis Hamilton completing the top three in a Ferrari one-two-three split by the papaya car.
The opening segment saw traffic and track evolution play a huge role. The short 4.304km lap meant drivers struggled to find clean air, particularly in the stadium section. Gabriel Bortoleto, Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly, Lance Stroll, and Franco Colapinto were eliminated, with Albon’s struggles continuing after a difficult FP3. An investigation into several drivers for failing to follow maximum delta time instructions ended with no further action.
Oscar Piastri, championship leader, only just made it into Q3, climbing to seventh in the final moments and knocking out Yuki Tsunoda. Esteban Ocon, Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso, and Liam Lawson also fell at this stage. Isack Hadjar impressed by topping the session ahead of Hamilton and Russell, showing Racing Bulls’ pace in the high-altitude conditions.
The final shootout was all about Norris. After Leclerc set provisional pole with a 1:15.848, Norris responded with a blistering lap, going purple in all three sectors. Hamilton briefly split the pair before Leclerc reclaimed second. George Russell and Max Verstappen were close but couldn’t match the McLaren’s pace, with Verstappen ending up fifth ahead of Kimi Antonelli. Carlos Sainz qualified seventh but will drop five places due to a penalty, promoting Piastri to seventh on the grid.
Top 10 Qualifying Results:
Norris’ pole lap was a masterclass in precision and commitment. He topped all three sector rankings, with a particularly strong middle sector (29.114s) that underlined McLaren’s mechanical grip advantage. His straight-line speed was slightly down on the Ferraris, but the car’s balance through the technical sections made the difference.
Leclerc and Hamilton both showed strong pace, with Ferrari’s high top speeds in sector one (Leclerc clocking 320 km/h) suggesting they could be dangerous on the long run to Turn 1. The slipstream effect in Mexico often negates pole advantage, meaning Norris will have to defend hard at the start.
The reigning champion struggled with balance, reporting understeer and oversteer in the chicanes. His fifth place leaves him with work to do, especially with Norris and both Ferraris ahead. Red Bull’s straight-line speed remains competitive, but the car looked less planted in the twisty stadium section.
Piastri’s qualifying was scrappy, including a reported DRS issue. Starting seventh after Sainz’s penalty, he faces a critical race to protect his championship lead, which could swing to Norris if results mirror qualifying positions.
Hadjar’s Q2-topping lap and Bearman’s solid Q3 performance highlighted the unpredictable nature of the session. The high-altitude conditions and evolving track surface allowed opportunistic runs to pay off.
If the race finishes as per qualifying, Norris would take the championship lead by one point over Piastri, with Verstappen 41 points adrift. The grid order, with Norris’ rivals starting further back, gives the McLaren driver a golden opportunity to seize momentum.
Norris has put himself in the perfect position to attack the championship lead, but with Ferrari’s launch speed and Verstappen lurking, Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix promises a high-stakes, multi-team fight from lights to flag.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.