F1 Qualifying Results & Report 2023 Mexico Grand Prix

Event: Mexico Grand Prix
Track: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez

Weather: dry  25.2°C
Tarmac: dry  45.8°C
Humidity : 28.0%
Wind : 4.3 km/h W

Charles Leclerc scored the 22nd F1 pole position of his career during the 2023 Mexico Grand Prix qualifying session today. The Ferrari driver will start from P1 for the second time in Mexico City. It was the 248th pole for Scuderia Ferrari. 

Q1 Session Report

Temperature & Tyre Strategy: The session began under sweltering conditions with track temperatures soaring to 46°C. This significantly affected tyre strategy, with many teams questioning whether the soft tyres would sustain two push laps. Despite this, Aston Martin chose to utilize two sets of soft tyres early on in the session, indicating their challenges over the weekend.

Tyre Choices & Track Performance: As the session progressed, Mercedes, Norris, and Piastri ventured out on medium tyres. However, the Red Bull duo of Perez and Verstappen stuck to the softs. Perez initially led the time sheets, but Verstappen soon topped him with a considerable margin. Meanwhile, the McLaren team faced difficulty with the medium tyres, evident from Piastri's P18 and Norris failing to set a lap time.

Incidents & Controversies: There was no shortage of drama. The session witnessed multiple incidents:

• Verstappen, Russell, and Alonso found themselves under scrutiny for impeding in the pit lane.
• Alonso's spin in Turn 3, which triggered yellow flags, impacted several drivers, notably Norris who couldn't capitalize on his lap due to the incident.
• The stewards noted multiple infringements including Hamilton, Russell, Norris, Zhou, Sargeant, and Tsunoda for various reasons, most notably failing to adhere to the Race Director's instructions and not slowing down under yellow flags.
• Eliminations: The session concluded with the elimination of Ocon, Magnussen, Stroll, Sargeant, and Norris. Norris's elimination stood out due to the series of unfortunate events that prevented him from setting a competitive time.

Q2 Session Report

In a high-voltage Q2 at the Mexico Formula One Grand Prix, the grid saw some dramatic shifts. As the session got underway, Hamilton was put under investigation for not slowing under yellow flags. Meanwhile, Red Bull took no chances, immediately sending their drivers out on fresh softs.

Norris, a favorite for pole, faced a setback and might have a challenging race day ahead. Benefiting from other drivers' misfortunes, he climbed a few positions thanks to Sargeant's lap time deletion and Tsunoda's impending grid penalty.

Verstappen shone brilliantly, setting a remarkable 1m 17.625s lap, which was faster than last year's pole by a half-tenth. Close behind him were Russell, Ricciardo, and Perez. However, Verstappen might find himself in some post-session troubles concerning some pit lane incidents.

As Q2 progressed, Gasly, Alonso, Leclerc, Tsunoda, Sainz, and Hulkenberg all used their old tires for their first attempts. On the other end, Verstappen seemed quite confident, staying in with his leading lap time.

The session's closing minutes were tense, with cars rushing to secure their spots. Hamilton managed to place himself at the top, with Russell and Ricciardo taking the next two spots. Notable performances came from Leclerc, who moved to third, and Albon, who initially secured the ninth position. However, in a turn of events, Albon's lap time was deleted due to a track limit violation at Turn 2, dropping him to 14th and pushing Zhou back into the top 10.

Ending Q2, those who didn't make the cut were Zhou, Gasly, Hulkenberg, Alonso, and Tsunoda.

Additionally, there's some controversy brewing. Tsunoda reportedly ran over equipment from the Williams garage. An investigation is set to determine whether it was a careless mistake by Williams or an unusual maneuver by Tsunoda.

Q3 Session Report

Ferrari Surprises with Front Row Lockout

In a thrilling Q3 session for the 2023 Mexico Formula One Grand Prix, Ferrari stunned everyone by securing the front row. The Monegasque sensation, Charles Leclerc, clinched pole with a lap time of 1m 17.166s, closely followed by his teammate Carlos Sainz who was just 0.067s behind. Despite a minor error in Turn 8, Max Verstappen of Red Bull secured third, while Daniel Ricciardo showcased a remarkable comeback to claim fourth.

The session saw intense battles as Sergio Perez, racing in front of his home crowd, secured fifth alongside Lewis Hamilton in sixth. Piastri and Russell followed in seventh and eighth, with Bottas and Zhou completing the top 10.

Notably, both Leclerc and Sainz expressed their astonishment over the sudden surge in Ferrari's pace. Leclerc admitted he didn't expect pole after initial struggles in FP3, while Sainz remarked about the difficulty in stringing together a perfect lap throughout the weekend.

Verstappen, who won from pole last year in Mexico, highlighted the challenges of the circuit and hinted at a potential slipstream advantage into Turn 1 during the race. With this in mind, tomorrow's race is set to be a strategic battle, especially given Ferrari's history of not always converting pole positions into victories.

There are, however, potential shake-ups looming with investigations underway involving Hamilton, Russell, and Verstappen. With Tsunoda also set to drop back due to penalties, the final starting grid might yet see changes.

Looking Ahead: As we anticipate tomorrow's race, questions arise: Can Ferrari maintain their sudden advantage? Will Verstappen's prowess in free air prove decisive? And can Perez clinch a podium on home soil? The long run down to Turn 1 and potential slipstream plays will be pivotal in shaping the outcome.

Last year the pole position lap time was a 1:17.775 min driven by Max Verstappen with the Red Bull RB19.

Qualifying Times 2023 Mexico GP

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