F1 Mexico GP Live Commentary and Updates - Qualifying
Minute-by-minute updates for qualifying for the 2024 Formula 1 Mexico Grand Prix
The Mexico Grand Prix hosts the second part of the Americas Formula 1 triple-header as the championship begins the run-up to its climax.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz earned Ferrari a 1-2 at the Circuit of the Americas last weekend, but much of the focus was on the controversy behind as Max Verstappen inherited third from title rival Lando Norris - the McLaren driver penalised for overtaking off-track.
McLaren set a daunting marker in final practice with Oscar Piastri ahead of Norris, as Sainz stakes his claim as the nearest challenger for pole. Qualifying gets under way at 10pm BST.
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Perez reports that he was putting too much energy into the tyres under braking and was struggling to stop the car in Q1, and will face an uphill struggle to get a decent result out of tomorrow from P18 on the grid. "It's going to be very difficult from the position we're in," he says.
Towards the lower reaches of the top 10, Tsunoda was a fraction quicker than fellow RB driver Lawson on the first runs of Q2 and currently sits eighth, with his Kiwi team-mate ninth and Alonso tenth. Can Leclerc dislodge them from a Q3 berth?
A 1m16.301 for Norris is the new benchmark in Q2 as he ducks underneath Verstappen's previous best to the tune of 0.328s. Russell goes into third, then Hamilton in fourth.
Into third now goes Gasly, who is having a good time of it so far. Albon remains fourth, then Tsunoda and Q1 hero Magnussen.
Leclerc's time has been deleted for transgression of track limits at Turn 2. He was already a fair chunk off the pace so would have been unlikely to be relying on that laptime anyway.
Sainz narrowly shades Albon to go second, while Leclerc is a hefty 1s off the pace - which is likely to be the difference between new and used tyres.
A 1m17.090s for Albon gets things going, but that is only a marginal improvement on his Q1 time. Verstappen immediately dips underneath it with a 1m16.629s.
After the leading runners dabbled with mediums in Q1, all are on softs here.
Q2 now commences in Mexico, with the drivers seeking to secure a spot in the top 10 to secure passage into Q3 for the pole position shootout. Those ending up in positions 11-15 will be eliminated.
For the record, Norris didn't have to go again after launching to the top of the times in Q1 and remained fastest ahead of Sainz, with Verstappen third and Leclerc fourth. Ferrari may scent blood here with two cars still in the fight.
Perez needed a good weekend on home soil to allay his bosses worries, but starting 18th certainly won't do that. It his his worst starting position in nine Mexico GPs.
Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
It's a shock Q1 exit then for Piastri, mere hours after going fastest in FP3. How things can change in F1... The time deleted would not have been good enough either for the Australian, whose hopes of getting i the fight for pole have been shattered.
Ocon can't save himself either, and despite improving remains 19th as the flag comes out to end Q1. The Alpine driver who will replace Magnussen next year is eliminated along with Colapinto (16th), Piastri (17th), Perez (18th) and Zhou (20th). Who saw that coming?
Kevin Magnussen has booted Piastri out of Q1 by going fifth fastest for Haas; what an effort from the Dane!
FP3 pace setter Piastri is now shuffled down to 16th and is out as things stand, along with Perez!
It's P15 for Piastri, so he is very much in danger. So too Perez, who is currently 16th.
Piastri doesn't go to the pits and is now trying a second push lap on those soft tyres. Can they hold up?
If Piastri does manage to get another set of tyres on and escape the Q1 drop, it will mean he faces a disadvantage in terms of the number of sets available to him relative to Norris - who may not have to run again sitting pretty atop the times.
Now Piastri's time is deleted for track limits at Turn 12. He's in danger in P19.
Piastri sure enough does improve, but only to 13th, having switched to the soft. Norris meanwhile goes fastest with a 1m16.505s.
Russell improves to fourth, which briefly puts Hamilton into the drop zone, but he vaults up to eighth in the order. That leaves the five in danger currently as Colapinto, Ocon, Zhou, Piastri and Perez. That said, Piastri has just gone purple in the middle sector.
This development could favour those who went early with mediums and have extra softs in the pocket that could see them out of danger if this rate of track evolution continues.
Alonso crosses the line and dives ahead of his team-mate into third, only to be beaten immediately by compatriot Sainz - who is again on mediums. But the times are tumbling as Gasly now takes second, ahead of Hulkenberg with Norris shuffled to fourth.
Stroll improves again, and now bounds up to fourth on a 1m17.55s. That slots him in ahead of the impressive Williams of Albon and Colapinto.
Verstappen is on softs, and goes fastest with a 1m16.998s. That's 0.205s up on Norris (medium), with Perez a yawning 1.532s behind his team-mate having been shuffled back to 14th.
Piastri's first effort on the medium is over a second slower than his team-mate, after running deep and locking up at Turn 4, which puts him eighth so far.
Norris, also on mediums, ducks underneath Sainz with a 1m17.203s. Perez, meanwhile, puts in a disappointing 1m18.530s which is good only for 11th so far.
Despite using the mediums, the Ferraris are comfortably quicker than Alonso and Stroll in the Aston Martins. Sainz breezes to the top spot on a 1m17.444s, with Leclerc second on a 1m17.887s.
Stroll now usurps him for Aston Martin with a 1m18.173s.
Bottas puts the first timed lap of 1m18.507s, over a second quicker than Zhou's opening gambit.
Ferrari has sent its drivers out on medium tyres. An interesting choice perhaps telling of confidence that it can save a set of softs for later in proceedings?
We're go for qualifying in Mexico, with Sauber drivers Bottas and Zhou Guanyu first out of the pitlane.
We're moments away now from the start of Q1, when all 20 cars will take to the track and vie to finish in positions 1-15 to secure passage to Q2. Positions 16-20 will be eliminated.
If there was ever a place for Sergio Perez to turn around his fortunes, it would be here - in front of his adoring home fans. Red Bull's number two has never started from the front row here, with his best qualifying effort in Mexico to date the fourth places he managed in 2021 and 2022. Will that change today?
Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
Did you know that the last three pole positions in Mexico have been taken by different constructors? Valtteri Bottas was fastest for Mercedes in 2021, Max Verstappen for Red Bull the year after, and Charles Leclerc for Ferrari last season. Should Piastri or Norris deliver the goods for McLaren, that would extend a remarkable little stat.
You have to go back to 1990 to find the last time a McLaren driver took pole in Mexico. That year Gerhard Berger wrestled his Honda-powered MP4/5B to the top spot, beating Riccardo Patrese's Williams by 0.271s.
Gerhard Berger, McLaren MP4-5B Honda.
Photo by: Ercole Colombo
As we saw in FP1 yesterday when Alex Albon clattered into Ollie Bearman's Ferrari, where drivers catch slow-moving cars trying to cool their tyres can be crucial here. Could that factor into a Q1 shock? Stewards ultimately felt that neither driver was to blame for the clash which brought out red flags. Here's what they had to say about it.
The timing screens tell us there is a 10% risk of rain for qualifying, which is set to begin in a little over 10 minutes. Slender enough not to be a factor, we anticipate.
Unless you've been living under a rock this week, you'll have noticed that the fallout from Austin's battle for third place has dominated the news agenda. The latest development, following the FIA's decision to reject McLaren's petition for a review into Norris's penalty for overtaking Max Verstappen off the circuit, is that the governing body is set to alter guidelines for racing following input from drivers in yesterday's meeting. You can read more on that here.
If you're just joining us, McLaren set the pace in FP3 earlier today, with Oscar Piastri pacing Lando Norris in a 1-2 for the papaya squad. Should the team's advantage be replicated in qualifying, then we could be set for a tense intra-team battle for pole between its main championship hope and his increasingly strong team-mate. You can read the full report from that session here.
By: James Newbold
