Q1

The opening part of qualifying in Mexico started slowly with only a few cars heading out immediately. Most teams took time to prepare their cars and tyres. Lance Stroll was the first to set a lap but was soon beaten by his teammate Fernando Alonso. Lando Norris was one of the first of the main title contenders to run and immediately looked comfortable.

Oscar Piastri had a difficult start to qualifying and struggled to find rhythm in his car. Max Verstappen also faced challenges, having to manage his Red Bull through a few slides which prevented him from setting a top lap early on. Other drivers faced their own difficulties as well. Gabriel Bortoleto had his first lap deleted for exceeding track limits, leaving him without a time halfway through the session.

Eliminated in Q1: Franco Colapinto, Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Gabriel Bortoleto

Q2

With the track cleaned and conditions improving, Q2 saw the remaining drivers push harder. Isack Hadjar set an early competitive lap showing the benefits of a cleaner racing line. Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen adapted quickly and moved to the top of the timesheets. Lando Norris continued to show strong form, improving his lap and looking in control of the session.

Oscar Piastri had a tricky time again. He struggled to extract full pace from his McLaren and had minor issues with his power unit but managed to improve enough to avoid elimination. Carlos Sainz and Liam Lawson had mixed fortunes. Some laps were aborted or compromised which prevented them from reaching the top positions.

Eliminated in Q2: Yuki Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon, Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso, Liam Lawson

Q3

The final shootout for pole position was intense with all ten drivers pushing flat out on soft tyres. Max Verstappen set an early benchmark but lost time through the middle sector giving Norris the opportunity to respond. Lando Norris then delivered a near-perfect lap, going fastest through every sector and securing pole with a strong controlled run.

Charles Leclerc responded with a fast lap finishing second while Lewis Hamilton slotted into third. George Russell was fourth and Verstappen fifth. Kimi Antonelli, Carlos Sainz (however he will serve a five-place grid penalty), and Oscar Piastri completed the next three positions while Isack Hadjar and Oliver Bearman rounded out the top ten. Because of Sainz’s grid penalty Piastri moves up to start seventh.