Hello and welcome to coverage of the Mexico City grand prix at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Charles Leclerc saw off team-mate Carlos Sainz by just 0.067 seconds to complete a front row lock out for Ferrari. But can they get over the line and prevent Max Verstappen from winning his 16th race of the season?
“I didn’t expect to be on pole because we looked to be lacking quite a bit of pace after practice,” said Leclerc.
“But for some reason once we put everything together it went well and on the new tyres we gained a lot.
“I’m already focusing on tomorrow’s race because we have had many pole positions this season, but we need to convert it into victory and that is going to be very difficult.”
Verstappen starts the race from third and will be in prime position to attack down the long home straight.
“I still felt quite bad in the middle sector, I was sliding around quite a bit, so again, yeah, I tried to get a bit of time back,’ he said. “My first sector wasn’t probably ideal. I mean, I improved a bit but not enough. But yeah, it’s just feeling, and then around here when you slide a bit too much it doesn’t come together. When it’s so tight, one [or] two tenths can be easily found or lost. I think that’s what happened in qualifying.”
Lewis Hamilton, disqualified from finishing runner-up to Verstappen at the United States Grand Prix a week ago, finished only sixth, 0.288 sec back.
Nearly 400,000 spectators will pass through the gates at the high-altitude venue this weekend with the majority here to support Sergio Perez.
But the home favourite failed to deliver, finishing nearly three tenths adrift of Verstappen and qualified fifth, one position behind Daniel Ricciardo who impressed in his AlphaTauri, to take fourth.
American rookie Logan Sargeant, who earned his first point in F1 last weekend in Austin, will prop up the grid after he saw two laps scrubbed off by the stewards for exceeding track limits.
