F1 Qualifying Results & Report 2024 Mexico Grand Prix

Mexico City Qualifying Report: 2024 Formula 1 Grand Prix

Round 20 of the 2024 F1 season took place at the thrilling Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. With the championship reaching its final stages, the intense qualifying session saw dramatic exits, surprising pole results, and a competitive grid lineup for Sunday’s race. Here's how the qualifying unfolded across Q1, Q2, and Q3.

Q1: Early Exits and Hometown Heartache

The Mexican crowd was hopeful as hometown favorite Sergio Perez took to the track. Unfortunately, despite running soft tires and multiple attempts, Perez struggled with car control and braking, ultimately finishing 18th and exiting in Q1. He joined Franco Colapinto, Oscar Piastri, Esteban Ocon, and Zhou Guanyu on the sidelines.

Piastri's attempt to improve on his initial lap saw his time deleted for track limits, a costly error that left him outside the top 15. Meanwhile, Kevin Magnussen and Alex Albon managed to impress, advancing comfortably while setting themselves up for potential points on Sunday.

Q2: Tsunoda’s Crash and Red Flag Drama

Q2 saw an uptick in action as Yuki Tsunoda was among the drivers vying for a top-10 finish. However, Tsunoda spun into the barriers toward the end of the session, bringing out the red flags with only 10 seconds remaining. This incident effectively ended the session, locking in the top 10 for Q3 and leaving Lawson, Alonso, Stroll, and Bottas eliminated alongside Tsunoda.

Tsunoda's crash also dashed teammate Liam Lawson’s hopes of advancing. The Williams duo capitalized on the chaos, with Albon delivering a strong performance to secure a place in Q3, showing Williams’ determination to remain competitive against Alpine.

Q3: Sainz Shines in Mexico’s High-Pressure Shootout

With a tightly contested grid in Q3, Carlos Sainz delivered a standout performance for Ferrari, setting the pace with two stellar laps that secured him pole position. Sainz’s rallying instincts appeared to give him an edge on the lower-grip Mexican track, allowing him to outpace Max Verstappen by a slim margin.

Max Verstappen managed to recover from earlier struggles with car handling to claim second, while Lando Norris clinched third, just shy of Verstappen. Charles Leclerc lined up fourth after a minor slip in his final sector. Mercedes’ George Russell outpaced teammate Lewis Hamilton for fifth, with Hamilton close behind in sixth. Rounding out the top 10 were Kevin Magnussen, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, and Nico Hulkenberg.

Looking Ahead to Sunday

With Ferrari on pole, Sainz has set himself up for a potential win, but with Verstappen and Norris close behind, he'll have to defend his lead vigorously. The grid lineup suggests a thrilling battle for the front, with Norris likely looking for a slipstream behind Verstappen into the long run down to Turn 1. As Ferrari aims to close the gap in the constructors' standings, Sunday's race is poised to be pivotal.

Don’t miss the action tomorrow as lights go out at 20:00 UTC (14:00 local time).