2023-10-28 22:19:00
During qualifying for the Mexican Grand Prix, everyone looked at Max Verstappen and Red Bull – then Ferrari struck twice. Charles Leclerc secured pole ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz patted each other on the back in appreciation, but the Ferrari duo was by no means euphoric after the surprise success in Mexico. Completely unexpectedly, the Reds had secured the front row of the grid for Sunday’s race near Mexico City (9 p.m. CET/Sky). However, doubts about victory arose immediately after the turbulent qualifying.
“I didn’t expect us to get pole,” said Leclerc, who is starting from first place on the grid in a Formula 1 race for the 22nd time. Leclerc had already taken pole last weekend in Austin, Texas. In the end he was disqualified. Before the race in Mexico, he dampened his expectations. “It will be very difficult for us to win,” said Leclerc. Sainz promised the Tifosi: “We will try everything!”
The biggest opponent is Max Verstappen. The world champion came third in the Red Bull and has a good chance of continuing his winning streak in the superior car. Verstappen has enough motivation: With his 16th win of the season, the Dutchman would improve his own Formula 1 record from last year – the World Championship races in Brazil, Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi are still to follow. Teammate Sergio Pérez only starts the home race in fifth place.
“The surprise is also on our side,” said Red Bull Motorsport Director Helmut Marko on Sky about the strong Ferrari performance. He didn’t get worried: “It’s definitely not going to happen at a distance in the race. That would be the first time this season that Ferrari could keep up at the race distance. We’re confident.”
For Nico Hülkenberg, the dream of a first podium finish will most likely not come true in his 200th Grand Prix in the premier class. In the defeated Haas, the German made it into the second qualifying section, but then Hülkenberg was finished in twelfth place.
“I’m actually satisfied. There’s not much more possible. We can’t find a good rhythm, we don’t have enough grip on the rear axle,” said Hülkenberg, who is hoping for a “happy ending” and points.
The impressions from the training sessions on Friday and Saturday promised excitement for the hunt for times. Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren – the top teams were close together.
One candidate for the front row was eliminated in Q1. McLaren driver Lando Norris made a mistake on his fast lap. Shortly afterwards, his chance to correct his driving mistake was taken away by yellow flags following a spin by Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin). Norris didn’t get past 19th place. Hülkenberg made it into Q2. Nothing more was possible for “Hülk” in the stubborn Haas.
In the final section, Ferrari surprised and put the competition under pressure with two strong laps. Verstappen was forced to act, but didn’t make a decisive move. “I didn’t get everything together 100 percent,” said Verstappen, “but it’s a long race.”
This is a rather poor certainty for Ferrari.
Formula 1, GP in Mexico: The starting grid
RangFahrer1Charles Leclerc2Carlos Sainz3Max Verstappen4Daniel Ricciardo5Sergio Perez6Lewis Hamilton7Oscar Piastri8George Russell9Valtteri Bottas10Zhou Guanyu11Pierre Gasly12Nico Hülkenberg13Fernando Alonso14Alexander Albon15Yuki Tsunoda16Esteban Ocon17Kevin Magnussen18Lance Stroll19Logan Norris20Logan Sargeant
© getty
Formula 1: Qualifying at the Mexican GP in the live ticker for reading
Goodbye!
We say goodbye to an exciting qualifying in Mexico. The race continues on Sunday evening. We’ll be there live again!
Hülkenberg takes twelfth place
Nico Hülkenberg missed Q3 in twelfth place, but he shouldn’t be dissatisfied with the outcome of qualifying, because after training it didn’t even look like the German could make it to Q2 with the Haas. His teammate Kevin Magnussen, however, only starts the race from 17th place. Lando Norris had a day to forget as he only finished qualifying in 19th position.
Ferrari drivers secure the front row
Ferrari had not imposed itself in Q1 and Q2 and was certainly not the favorite in the pole fight. However, the Italians could not be beaten in Q3 and with strong laps in the first run, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz secured the front row of the grid for their team. The big hurdle will probably be tomorrow’s race, as Ferrari recently looked weak in its racing condition in Austin. Daniel Ricciardo, who will start fourth from the second row alongside Max Verstappen, was also a surprise. Alfa Romeo will also be happy with ninth and tenth places.
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Formula 1: Qualifying at the Mexican GP in the live ticker – Q3
Ende Qualifying
Qualifying at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is over and the cars return to the pit lane. Sergio Pérez finished qualifying in fifth place. Lewis Hamilton takes sixth place. Piastri, Russell, Bottas and Zhou complete the top ten.
Pole position for Charles Leclerc!
Even Hamilton and Russell can no longer endanger the Ferrari! Charles Leclerc secures pole ahead of his teammate Carlos Sainz. Max Verstappen comes third ahead of Daniel Ricciardo.
Verstappen stays behind
Verstappen can improve, but he remains behind the two Ferraris! Now only Mercedes can prevent the front row of the grid for Ferrari…
No increase at Ferrari
At Ferrari there is no increase and it remains at the times that they set in the first run. Can Verstappen improve again?
Mercedes waits a long time
Mercedes is waiting a long time with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. The two Brits will finish straight away when it comes to the final rounds.
The fight for the pole
Things are getting serious again in Mexico. Little by little the drivers go back out onto the track. In the next few minutes it will be decided who will take pole position!
Zhou drives counter-cyclically
While the rest of the field is in the garages in Q3, Guanyu Zhou went out again and completed his only run in Q3.
Boxenfunk Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen asks his box to take a look at the underbody in front during the break between runs after he hit it a notch harder.
Ferrari gets dual leadership
Ferrari actually manages it and passes Max Verstappen with both drivers. Charles Leclerc has a 1:17.166. Sainz is just 0.067 seconds behind in second place. Verstappen is missing a tenth.
New best time from Max Verstappen in Q3
Max Verstappen crossed the line after 1:17.286 minutes and easily moved ahead of his teammates. But will it stay at number one? Ferrari is doing really well right now!
The first time
Sergio Pérez marks the first time in Q3. The Mexican achieved a 1:17.788 in front of his home crowd. It’s on a used set of tires.
Q3 started
We continue with Q3 and the fight for pole! Sergio Pérez is the first driver to leave, followed by Verstappen, Ricciardo and Bottas.
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Formula 1: Qualifying at the Mexican GP in the live ticker – Q2
Albon still slips out!
Guanyu Zhou still comes to Q3. Alex Albon exceeds the track limits and the Williams driver’s lap is canceled. As a result, he slips back to 14th place, while Zhou takes tenth place.
Q2 finished
Q2 is over! In addition to Hülkenberg, Guanyu Zhou, Pierre Gasly, Fernando Alonso and Yuki Tsunoda, who did not set a time because he has to start from the back tomorrow anyway, were eliminated.
New best time from Lewis Hamilton in Q2
But now it’s all about the fast laps in Q2! Lewis Hamilton delivers a 1:17.571 and is now the new leader. Max Verstappen didn’t go out again. Nico Hülkenberg is currently twelfth and will be eliminated because he can no longer set a lap.
New job for race management
The Tsunoda incident prompts further investigation. The Williams team is under investigation because they did not put their equipment away so that it would not hinder a driver.
Tsunoda clears away jacks
Yuki Tsunoda clears the jack at Williams as he leaves the pits. He doesn’t actually have to go out anymore, but he should act as a slipstream for Ricciardo.
It’s going to a showdown
It’s the showdown of Q2! After it was quiet on the track for the last few minutes, we’re now heading out again. There’s a lot of traffic at the pit exit again now.
Hülkenberg in twelfth place
After the first runs in Q2, Nico Hülkenberg is currently in twelfth place. In addition to him, Albon, Gasly, Albon and Tsunoda are also out at the moment.
Piastri the first pursuer
These TV images are likely to annoy Lando Norris. Oscar Piastri drives a good lap and is two tenths behind Verstappen in second place. Ricciardo is currently third.
Hülkenberg on used tires
Nico Hülkenberg is already on his first fast lap, but he certainly won’t be tearing up any trees. He is on a used set of the softs.
The first times in Q2
The Red Bull set the first times in Q2. Max Verstappen has a 1:17.625, which puts him a good half a second ahead of Sergio Pérez and suggests that he is pole favorite again today.
Also investigating Sargeant
There is another investigation. This time against Sargeant and Tsunoda, who had overtaken during yellow. Sargeant is also being investigated for speeding. Things were pretty chaotic at the end of Q1.
Q2 started
It continues with the Q2! The next 15 minutes will be about moving into Q3. Sergio Pérez and Max Verstappen are already on the way.
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Formula 1: Qualifying at the Mexican GP in the live ticker – Q1
A lot to do for the race management
In addition to the pit lane violations by Verstappen, Russell and Alonso, the race management still has a lot to do. There are now almost standard examinations because some drivers have exceeded the delta time for the slow laps. There is also an investigation against Lewis Hamilton because he is said to have not slowed down sufficiently under yellow.
Q1 finished
Q1 is over and Lando Norris is eliminated in 19th place! Only Logan Sargeant is still behind, who couldn’t set any lap times. Esteban Ocon, Kevin Magnussen and Lance Stroll are also out. Nico Hülkenberg, on the other hand, was lucky and made it into Q2 in 14th place!
Yellow flag
There are yellow flags because Fernando Alonso is spinning. A very bitter thing for Norris, because he won’t be able to improve any more!
Investigation against Verstappen
An investigation is underway against Max Verstappen because he delayed the other drivers in the pit lane by driving out slowly. The incident will be investigated after qualifying. Russell and Alonso also have to go to the race management about the matter.
Boxenfunk Alex Albon
“It feels like it’s a completely different car!” Alex Albon radios to his pits. He comes back to the garage and has to hope that ninth place is enough.
Norris under pressure
Oscar Piastri can improve, but things could get tight for Lando Norris. He’s only 19th currently. Was there a mistake or was he stuck in a traffic jam somewhere?
The first ones go out again
It was just quiet on the track, now the first drivers are heading out again with fresh tires. Four minutes remain in the first qualifying section.
Hülkenberg starts in eleventh place
Nico Hülkenberg starts qualifying in twelfth place. He had started the session on the soft. Stroll, Albon, Piastri, Norris and Sargeant are currently eliminated.
Tight distances
Verstappen is at the top two tenths ahead of Daniel Ricciardo in the AlphaTauri. Charles Leclerc follows closely behind on the medium. Bottas is currently fourth and not far away either. So the distances are tight again!
Hülkenberg on the Outlap
Nico Hülkenberg is one of those who stood in the pits for a long time. Now the German is driving out of Q1 for the first time. He is on the softest tire compound.
Verstappen gets the best time
Max Verstappen is through and confidently pushes past his teammate with a 1:18.009. He was able to take a good four tenths off Pérez. Hamilton ranks third with the medium.
New best time for Fernando Alonso in Q1
Fernando Alonso sets a new best time in Q1 with a 1:19.504. Today he is also one of those who have to worry about Q2. As in Austin, the Aston Martin is having a hard time here.
Magnussen sets the first time
Kevin Magnussen only sets the time in Q1. On the soft he drives a 1:19.730. Things will definitely get much faster. Little by little more riders come onto the track. Interesting: Some are initially on the medium.
The conditions
The temperatures rose again for the third training session. The air temperature is 25 degrees. while the track warmed up to 45 degrees.
Start Qualifying
The traffic lights are green and qualifying has started in México, DF. The first drivers have already taken to the track.
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Formula 1: Qualifying at the Mexican GP today in the live ticker – before the start
The route
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is more than 2,200 meters above sea level. The mountain air is a challenge for the technology: the brakes are at their limit because they cannot be cooled sufficiently and the engines are also reaching their limits. The 4.304 kilometer long circuit is one of the fastest in the Formula 1 calendar. Traffic on the fast lap is always a problem here.
Grid penalty for Tsunoda
Yuki Tsunoda is having a difficult weekend, going into qualifying today with a heavy load. The Japanese will start from last place on Sunday after the engine was changed on his car, which was above the permitted quota.
What can Ferrari do?
There is a question mark over Ferrari’s performance. Both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc had a bad third practice session after getting stuck in traffic and not getting a free lap on the soft tires. Accordingly, it is difficult to judge the performance of the two drivers in comparison to the others.
Aston Martin in trouble
In Austin, Aston Martin fell behind McLaren in the team standings and the team is also having a hard time in Mexico. Both Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso were far back in 3rd practice in 14th and 16th place. There hasn’t been much going on at Haas so far and the car didn’t really work during training, even on the fast laps. It will probably be a difficult task for Nico Hülkenberg to get the car into Q2.
Verstappen the hunted
As so often this season, the hunted is Max Verstappen. The Dutchman won all three training sessions in Mexico, but was unable to dominate and was only just ahead in an overall narrower field. Verstappen won the final training session with a lap time of 1:17.887 minutes, making him only 70 thousandths faster than Williams driver Alex Albon. Sergio Pérez was a tenth behind his teammate. Mercedes and McLaren also got into position.
Welcome!
Hello and welcome to Formula 1 in Mexico City. At 11:00 p.m. things get serious for the first time this weekend and the drivers fight in qualifying for the starting positions in tomorrow’s race.
before the start: Qualifying is about how to answer the question about pole position. Who can fight for number one and thereby a favorable position for tomorrow’s race?
before the start: The action starts at 11 p.m. German time at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City.
before the start: Hello and welcome to qualifying at the Mexican Grand Prix.
© getty
Max Verstappen has been known as world champion for a long time.
Formula 1: Qualifying at the Mexican GP today on TV and live stream
The qualifying will be shown on Sky, more precisely on the channels Sky Sport F1 (HD) and Sky Sport Top Event, where the broadcast with commentator Sascha Roos and expert Timo Glock starts at 10.30 p.m. and 11 p.m. respectively. The live stream, which also broadcasts the images from Mexico, can be activated with a SkyGo subscription or WOW.
Formula 1: Standings in the drivers’ championship and the constructors’ championship after 18 of 23 races*
Driver rating:
Pos.FahrerPkt.1.Max Verstappen (Red Bull)4332.Sergio Pérez (Red Bull)2243.Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)1944.Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)1835.Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)1536.Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)1457 .Lando Norris (McLaren)1368.George Russell (Mercedes)1329.Oscar Piastri (McLaren)8310.Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)4711.Pierre Gasly (Alpine)4612.Esteban Ocon (Alpine)4413.Alexander Albon (Williams)2314 .Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo)1015.Nico Hülkenberg (Haas)916.Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo)617.Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)318.Kevin Magnussen (Haas)319.Liam Lawson (AlphaTauri)220.Daniel Ricciardo (AlphaTauri) 021.Nyck de Vries (AlphaTauri)022.Logan Sargeant (Williams)0
Constructors’ Championship:
Pos.TeamPkt.1.Red Bull Racing6572.Mercedes-Benz3263.Ferrari2984.Aston Martin2305.McLaren2196.Alpine907.Williams238.Alfa-Romeo169.Haas1210.AlphaTauri5
*The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix had to be canceled due to heavy rain in the region.
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