Here is our full text transcript from the qualifying session for the 2023 Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix at the 4.304-kilometre Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City
Welcome back to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as we build up to qualifying! Max Verstappen topped all three practice sessions but the field has been all over the place and up to five teams are in with a chance of being on the front row. It has been very difficult to put a lap together, so Verstappen might not have it all his own way and it’s going to all be about who can produce when it matters most. Some surprises could be on the cards…
The Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren drivers all have four sets of new soft tyres available. You are given an extra set of softs if you reach Q3, so if you want two new sets of softs to use in the final part of qualifying, the leading teams can only use three sets across Q1 and Q2. With high track evolution and a tightly bunched field, it’s not a guarantee that two new sets will be left for the top drivers.
Sky Sports F1’s Danica Patrick on Ferrari:
“I feel like they really have the pieces, they just don’t put it together on the weekends. They have a lot of inconsistency with race calls, there are mistakes. At the end of the day, it just really hasn’t been a very clean season for them. It’s F1, it’s ultra-competitive, and you have to be putting it together just about every weekend.”
Q1 begins! Away we go for qualifying and…nobody is venturing out onto the track yet. It’s the Haas of Kevin Magnussen who is out there first and he is soon joined by Pierre Gasly. It’s always easy to tell when the local hero is on the circuit. So Sergio’s first task here is to do something he hasn’t always managed this year – clear Q1. He’ll want to do it as quickly as possible, ideally with his first hot lap. Max Verstappen also on the circuit in the sister Red Bull. The two Mercedes’ also on track for their initial out laps.
13 mins to go in Q1: It’s a 1:19.604 from Fernando Alonso which is the time to beat. That’s two seconds slower than the fastest time of the weekend, which was set in final practice by Max Verstappen. 11 mins to go: It’s a Red Bull one-two as Verstappen does a 1:18.099 which puts him 0.454s ahead of team-mate Perez. Both drivers are on the softs but Lewis Hamilton isn’t. Let’s see what he’s got…
11 mins to go in Q1: Unlike the Red Bulls, the Mercedes’ have started on the slower medium tyres. And that’s a decent time from Lewis Hamilton considering that – just 0.578s away from Verstappen on the softs. George Russell a further 0.2s adrift. McLaren also started on the mediums but it hasn’t begun as well for them – Piastri is 1.3s off the pace while Norris abandoned his opening lap without setting a time.
8 mins to go in Q1: Wow. Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas are continuing their strong weekends. Ricciardo goes second and Bottas is third, both within four tenths of Verstappen’s time. There could be a few surprises tonight in Mexico City. Both McLarens in the drop zone with those opening medium-tyre laps not going to plan, as we said. Piastri is 18th and Norris 20th. Both in the pits at the moment and you can bet your bottom dollar they’ll be re-emerging on the softs any time now.
6 mins to go in Q1: Charles Leclerc slots into third for Ferrari on the medium tyres – the fastest driver on that compound. Ferrari think they aren’t in the fight for pole position but Leclerc can be outstanding over one lap, so don’t rule him out.
2 mins to go in Q1: It’s good news for Oscar Piastri as he goes second – remember that because track evolution will be significant. But, Lando Norris decides to back out after a huge slide at Turn 10. He can do another lap but those tyres won’t be at their best. Norris is only 19th at the moment…
1 min to go in Q1: The lap times are going to tumble but Fernando Alonso causes a yellow flag at Turn 3. Alonso simply spins by himself and denies several drivers from improving their time.
Norris knocked out in Q1, starts 20th! Woh, what an absolute shocker that is for one of the grid’s in-form drivers! The lap just didn’t come together in what turned into a messy Q1 all round and Lando Norris is out in Q1! He’ll start 20th and last! A chaotic end to Q1 and Esteban Ocon is also a victim of the yellow flags because he is out.
There are a lot of investigations set to take place after qualifying. Max Verstappen and George Russell will be looked at for stopping in the pit lane while Fernando Alonso is being investigated for impeding. Russell, Lando Norris and Zhou Guanyu are being looked at for failing to follow the race director’s instructions regarding the maximum lap time for an out lap. And in another update from Race Control, they are looking at whether an investigation is required for Lewis Hamilton for allegedly not slowly for yellows in Q1. Same for Logan Sargeant.
Amid all of the investigations and noted drivers, Q2 is go! The Red Bulls are on track already. It’s a 1:17.625 from Verstappen which puts him half a second clear of Perez. The track is definitely ramping up and Verstappen’s time could stay at the top for a while here.
9 mins to go in Q2: Another very strong lap from Daniel Ricciardo as he puts himself in between Verstappen and Perez. George Russell goes fourth and Lewis Hamilton is fifth for Mercedes. Martin Brundle says: “Ricciardo’s in great form around here. a track he’s always been pretty hand around.”
8 mins to go in Q2: We need to get used to Bottas being very competitive this weekend as he jumps into fifth place. Oscar Piastri is now second, 0.249s behind Verstappen. Meanwhile, the Ferrari drivers are only eighth and ninth. Eight for Carlos Sainz and ninth for Charles Leclerc.
2 mins to go in Q2: Another big queue at the end of the pit lane and they are deciding to go 2×2 this time! Yuki Tsunoda hits a jack on the way out of his garage too for good measure.
1 min to go in Q2: Plenty still to play for here. The Ferraris completed their first laps of this session on used tyres, and are only eighth and ninth, but starting laps on brand new sets now. How high can they get? Well, it’s only ninth for Sainz…And, meanwhile, can anyone in the bottom five make a big jump into the top 10? Chequered flag: This is going to be another frantic end here in Q2. Leclerc goes into the top five and Sainz is only eighth for Ferrari. Well, that was a bit closer for the practice star than we expected. But Alex Albon does put his Williams into Q3 here, getting the right side of the cut line by two places and one tenth. Carlos Sainz only just creeps in with 10th in the Ferrari.
He took a second set of tyres to get there, but that was nonetheless decent pace from Lewis Hamilton to finish Q2 at the head of the order with a 1:17.571. Two tenths up on Verstappen, who didn’t come out for a final lap in that session. George Russell third, a tenth back on Hamilton, with Daniel Ricciardo still flying high in fourth. Alex Albon is out of qualifying. His lap that got him into Q3 has been deleted after he cut Turn 2. Zhou Guanyu is the beneficiary and he’s into Q3 which is coming up.
Take a deep breath everyone as we are straight into Q3. The field is very tightly bunched and it is Red Bull versus Mercedes and maybe even Daniel Ricciardo for pole position.
8 mins to go in Q3: It’s a handy1:17.286 from Max Verstappen which is half a second quicker than Sergio Perez. But, Ricciardo and the Ferraris are flying on their laps…Woh – the Ferrari SF-23 cars surge to the front!! Where. On. Earth has that suddenly come from from the two red cars? Talk about hiding your true pace until it really matters! Out of what seems like nowhere, Ferrari have a provisional front row here in Mexico. Charles Leclerc is fastest on a 1:17.166, with Carlos Sainz less than a tenth behind. Max Verstappen is third, 0.120s back, with Daniel Ricciardo still doing stunning work in fourth for AlphaTauri.
6 mins to go in Q3: It’s only fifth for George Russell and sixth for Lewis Hamilton. They are over half a second off provisional pole sitter Charles Leclerc.
2 mins to go in Q3: So this is it in Mexico City GP Qualifying. One lap to come from all the top 10. Carlos Sainz, currently second, is first up. Ricciardo and provisional polesitter Leclerc next in turn…It’s pole position for Charles Leclerc and it’s a Ferrari one-two as well! Carlos Sainz is second and Max Verstappen is third, despite improving his time. Most people would not have seen that coming as Verstappen misses out on pole by 0.097s. Both Mercedes drivers improved on their final laps, but they end up outside the top five on what at least stands as Sunday’s grid right now. Hamilton ahead in sixth, with Russell eighth.
An amazing performance for Ferrari!
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