Mexican GP: Sainz takes pole in Mexico City ahead of Verstappen

Carlos Sainz seized pole position for Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix with a consummate performance for Ferrari in Saturday’s qualifying session, outpacing Red Bull’s defending champion Max Verstappen.

The Spaniard, who leaves the team at the end of the season, clocked one minute and 15.946 seconds to beat series leader and three-time champion Verstappen, whose first and fastest lap in the top 10 shoot-out was deleted, by 0.225 seconds.

This left McLaren’s Lando Norris, who is 57 points behind Verstappen in the drivers’ title race, to take third ahead of Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari and the Williams of George Russell and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

Failing to front the grid in this fifth last race of the season could prove a major blow to Norris as he attempts to deny his friend and track foe a fourth consecutive world title.

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To make the Briton’s task even more complex Verstappen is looking for a fourth successive win at the high altitude circuit.

Neither Norris nor Verstappen will have their ‘wingmen’, Oscar Piastri and Sergio Perez, anywhere near them on the grid to help them as both crashed out in the first qualifying session.

Piastri, who was fastest for McLaren in FP3, fought to progress and slumped to 19th ahead of Red Bull’s Perez with two minutes to go – while Norris leapt to the top of the times.

In the final seconds, big improvements by others left Piastri and Perez in the drop zone – a surprise to many and a shock to the Mexican’s huge following at the circuit.