Max Verstappen narrowly defeated his championship rival Lando Norris as Ferrari's Carlos Sainz secured pole position at the Mexico Grand Prix. Norris is currently 57 points behind Verstappen in the drivers' championship with five races left and 146 points available, necessitating significant gains to close the gap. McLaren's attempt to reverse Norris's controversial penalty, which placed him behind Verstappen in Austin last weekend, was unsuccessful. Norris described the outcome as a "momentum killer" in his quest for his first title. His aspirations took another hit when he finished third in qualifying for Sunday's 71-lap race, trailing his title rival and more than three-tenths behind pole-sitter Sainz.
Norris led in the first two qualifying sessions but couldn't match the pace of the Spaniard, with his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc securing fourth place on the grid. Verstappen has won five of the last six grands prix in Mexico and is aiming for his fourth consecutive win at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on Sunday. The Red Bull driver faced challenges leading up to qualifying, experiencing engine issues that limited his practice on Friday and complaining of a lack of grip in the final practice session. However, he managed to perform well in qualifying and hopes to maintain his lead over Norris during the long 768-metre straight to turn one.
George Russell will start fifth for Mercedes, ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton. Norris will not have support from Oscar Piastri, who experienced a sudden decline in form, being eliminated in the first part of qualifying despite being fastest in final practice earlier. McLaren's constructors' title bid suffered a setback as Piastri qualified 17th, joined by Sergio Pérez in Q1 elimination. The Mexican, who admitted to having a "terrible season," disappointed his home fans by finishing 18th, intensifying the pressure on his Red Bull future. McLaren leads Red Bull by 40 points, with Ferrari only eight points behind.
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