Follow 2026 F1 Mexico City Grand Prix qualifying live as Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and their Formula 1 rivals battle for pole position at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. After three closely contested practice sessions, qualifying is scheduled to begin at 22:00, with ScuderiaFans providing live minute-by-minute commentary from 21:45.
The fight for pole position is particularly difficult to predict after the extremely close margins seen throughout practice. Ferrari demonstrated impressive pace on Friday with Charles Leclerc, while McLaren and Mercedes emerged as leading contenders during FP3. The Italian team also faces questions about its performance on soft tyres after struggling to produce clean qualifying simulations in the final practice session.
2026 F1 Mexico GP qualifying live: Q1, Q2 and Q3
Good evening, Ferrari fans, and welcome to ScuderiaFans.com’s live coverage of qualifying for the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix!
After three free practice sessions, the battle for the starting grid is about to begin. Our live commentary starts at 21:45, ahead of the scheduled 22:00 qualifying session, which will determine the 19th pole-sitter of the 2026 Formula 1 championship.
Qualifying follows the traditional three-part knockout format, with Q1 lasting 18 minutes, Q2 lasting 15 minutes and Q3 lasting 13 minutes. Drivers will compete to progress through each segment before the final ten fight for pole position.
With the leading teams so closely matched, identifying a clear favourite remains difficult. The three practice sessions at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez have suggested that several drivers could challenge for the front of the grid.
Charles Leclerc and Ferrari target pole after strong Mexico practice pace
Charles Leclerc was the standout performer on Friday, leading both practice sessions and demonstrating encouraging competitiveness in the Ferrari SF-26. However, the Monegasque encountered more difficulties in FP3, particularly when attempting to extract the maximum performance from the soft compound.
Despite struggling to complete a clean flying lap during the closing stages, Charles Leclerc recovered to third position, just over a tenth of a second behind the fastest time. Ferrari had previously occupied the top two places during the medium-tyre runs, highlighting the contrast between its performance on different compounds.
That difference presents an important challenge for Ferrari as the team prepares to translate its promising practice pace into a competitive qualifying result. The SF-26’s performance challenges in Mexico have made the weekend particularly demanding for the Maranello squad.
Lewis Hamilton finished FP3 in sixth position, behind several of Ferrari’s main rivals, and will also be looking to improve when qualifying begins.
Lando Norris and Andrea Kimi Antonelli separated by just 0.001 seconds in FP3
The closest battle in final practice came between Lando Norris and Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The McLaren driver secured the fastest lap of FP3, finishing just 0.001 seconds ahead of the Mercedes driver, who is closing in on becoming Formula 1’s next world champion.
Charles Leclerc completed the top three, followed by Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Isack Hadjar. The extremely small difference at the front underlined how competitive the battle for pole position could become.
Whether those practice results accurately reflect the competitive order remains uncertain. Ferrari’s strong Friday performance, McLaren’s speed in FP3 and Mercedes’ competitiveness have all contributed to an unpredictable qualifying picture.
Follow Mexico GP qualifying and the battle for pole position live
ScuderiaFans will follow the action minute by minute as the drivers progress through Q1, Q2 and Q3, with the final qualifying classification determining the starting grid for the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix.
Fans can also explore the F1 qualifying pace and sector comparison for further analysis of lap times, sector differences and qualifying performance.
Will Charles Leclerc convert Ferrari’s encouraging practice form into a challenge for pole position, or will Lando Norris and Andrea Kimi Antonelli maintain the advantage they showed in FP3? Follow our live coverage and join the discussion as the battle for the Mexico Grand Prix starting grid unfolds.
Leave a Reply