Max Verstappen and Lando Norris will line up behind pole-sitter Carlos Sainz for Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix, with Verstappen starting in second and Norris in third.
Verstappen maintains a 57-point lead over Norris, who will need to close in by roughly 12 points per race over the final five events if he hopes to overtake the Red Bull driver.
Norris’ qualifying time was just 0.089 seconds shy of Verstappen’s, while Sainz set the pole with a 0.225-second gap over the Dutchman.
Charles Leclerc, fresh off a dominant win at the US Grand Prix, qualified fourth in the second Ferrari, followed by Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
With the season’s longest straight leading into the first corner, all eyes are on the run-off where the slipstream effect could benefit the second and third-place starters.
In three of the last four races in Mexico, the winner has come from the third grid position—where Norris will start.
HE’S A SMOOOOOOTH OPERATOR!!! 👏👏
CARLOS SAINZ TAKES POLE IN MEXICO!! 🇲🇽#F1 #MexicoGP PIC.TWITTER.COM/EMAZZGOGWK
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 26, 2024
Reflecting on his first pole since Singapore 2023, Sainz acknowledged the challenges of starting at the front with competitors benefiting from the slipstream.
He said: “Probably the biggest difficult thing will be the run down into Turn One and starting on pole with a slipstream, no?
“I just need to make sure I do a good 0-100km/h, which is the most important thing when you start on pole, just make sure you do a good jump.
“And from there obviously do the best I can to defend.
“I have two guys behind fighting for quite important things, I have obviously less to lose in that sense.”
Norris is aiming for victory to keep his title chances alive but acknowledges Ferrari’s recent speed might complicate that goal.
Leclerc has scored two wins and a second-place finish in the last four races, positioning Ferrari as a significant competitor.
The countdown to lights out is ON! 🤩
Here’s when to tune in for the Mexico City Grand Prix, wherever in the world you’re watching from! 🌍#F1 #MexicoGP @ROLEX pic.twitter.com/HlqOAJoLPC
— Formula 1 (@F1) OCTOBER 27, 2024
Norris said: “The last few weekends, they’ve been extremely quick and quicker than us, so it’s… I don’t have the confidence to say, yes, we can just beat them on pace.
“Like today, not on their level. I had definitely nowhere near close to 0.3secs left in the car. So it was more that they just went quicker. I was at the limit.”
Verstappen was satisfied with his front-row start after a challenging Friday, where he faced engine issues and limited track time.
He added: “We were massively on the back foot. After yesterday, I knew it would be a tough weekend, but we kept making little improvements with the car.
“Qualifying felt better and to be on the front row is an incredible result if you look back at yesterday
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri will start from the back after being knocked out in the first qualifying session.
McLaren’s decision to start with medium tyres proved costly, as Piastri struggled to adapt and ultimately went off-track.
Meanwhile, Sergio Perez’s qualifying struggles continue, as the Red Bull driver ended Q1 in 18th place, sparking further questions about his future with the team.
