The checkered flag has fallen on qualifying for the 2025 Mexican Grand Prix, and it’s time to review the highlights and final results of the session. The 23:00 local-time shootout determined the starting grid for a crucial race weekend in the championship battle. Fans eagerly watched to see if Red Bull’s updates would pay off, and whether Ferrari could challenge for top positions.
Q1
The session began with the green light as Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, along with Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly, were the first to hit the track. Alonso initially set the fastest lap, but Oliver Bearman soon overtook him. Red Bull and Mercedes opted for a slightly later run. Lando Norris quickly took control, posting a 1:17.147, while teammate Oscar Piastri struggled, finishing seven-tenths behind Norris.
Charles Leclerc was the first driver to close in on Norris, taking provisional second. Max Verstappen, taking some risks, secured the third-best time. Bearman impressed further, rising to P1 with eight minutes remaining. As the track improved, all drivers returned for a second attempt. Hadjar, on fresh tires, set the fastest lap of 1:16.733. Hamilton narrowly missed out on P1 by just three thousandths, ending Q1 in second behind Hadjar. Eliminated drivers included Bortoleto, Albon, Gasly, Stroll, and Colapinto.
Q2
Hamilton returned with a set of used red tires, while Leclerc, having used only one set in Q1, started on fresh softs. The Monegasque driver set an early provisional best of 1:16.658, only to be beaten by Norris by over four-tenths. Piastri continued to struggle, managing just tenth in his first attempt on used tires. Eliminated in Q2 were Tsunoda, Ocon, Hulkenberg, Alonso, and Lawson.
Q3
The final shootout for pole position saw Verstappen first on track, followed by Norris and Piastri. The Dutch driver initially claimed provisional pole but was soon overtaken by Norris, who improved by over three-tenths. Leclerc produced an almost flawless lap to take provisional P1 with a 1:15.991. On the second attempts, Bearman went out first, followed by Piastri. The session ended in dramatic fashion as Norris managed to better Leclerc’s time by two-tenths to secure pole. Piastri could not progress beyond eighth.
Overall, Ferrari demonstrated strong pace with Leclerc in contention for the front row, while Norris continues his impressive qualifying form. Championship leader Piastri faces an uphill battle after a difficult session, adding extra intrigue ahead of Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix.
Mexican GP qualifying results:
1 Lando Norris (McLaren) 1m15.586s
2 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.262s
3 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.352s
4 George Russell (Mercedes) +0.448s
5 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.484s
6 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.532s
7 Carlos Sainz (Williams) +0.586s
8 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.588s
9 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +0.666s
10 Ollie Bearman (Haas) +0.874s
11 Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) 1m16.816s
12 Esteban Ocon (Haas) 1m16.837s
13 Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) 1m17.016s
14 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 1m17.103s
15 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) 1m18.072s
16 Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) 1m17.412s
17 Alex Albon (Williams) 1m17.490s
18 Pierre Gasly (Alpine) 1m17.546s
19 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) 1m17.606s
20 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) 1m17.670s
