It’s time for qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix. The air temperature at the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit is 22 degrees and the track is at 43, but the skies are overcast and, during the course of the session it drops to 35.
Q1. Both Ferraris go out on new Medium tyres: Carlos posts a 1’17”444, Charles a 1’17”887. On the second run, the Spaniard gets down to 1’17”241 and the Monegasque to 1’17”688. No driver running this compound is safe from the cut, so the Ferrari drivers join the rest on Softs, Sainz making it to Q2, second quickest in 1’16”778, while Leclerc is fourth in 1’16”972.
Q2. In the second phase, the Ferraris start on the used Softs fitted in Q1: Carlos laps in 1’17”027, while Charles posts a 1’17”631, which is cancelled for exceeding track limits. They both pit for new Softs with which the Spaniard stops the clocks in 1’16”515 and the Monegasque in 1’16”641, so they are third and fourth respectively, ensuring they make it to Q3.
Q3. Each Ferrari driver has two sets of new Softs. On the first run, Carlos is provisionally quickest in 1’16”055, with Charles second in 1’16”415, after Max Verstappen’s time of 1’16”368 is cancelled for exceeding track limits. On the second run, both Scuderia Ferrari HP drivers improve with Carlos the only one to get under the 1’16” barrier in 1’15”946, to secure his sixth career pole position. Charles gets down to 1’16”265, but his time is beaten by Max Verstappen (1’16”260) by less than a tenth and by Lando Norris by just five thousandths (1’16”260).