#MexicoGP Qualifying: @CharlesLeclerc beats @Carlossainz55 and @Max33Verstappen to pole. #F1 #MexicanGP
Charles Leclerc, #16, Scuderia Ferrari, SF-23, celebrating after scoring his 22nd-career pole in Qualifying at the Formula 1 Gran Premio De La Ciudad De Mexico 2023, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City, Mexico. Image credit to Mark Thompson/Getty Images. Leclerc Mexico GP Pole, 2023 Mexico City GP Qualifying Results, Formula 1 Mexico City GP Qualifying Results.
Leclerc Mexico GP Pole – Charles Leclerc pipped team-mate Carlos Sainz to score pole position in a Ferrari front row lockout in a thrilling qualifying session at the Mexico GP as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completed the top three with the latter and several other drivers currently under investigated by the stewards.
This was Leclerc’s 22nd-career pole and fourth of the season.
In Q3, Leclerc held provisional pole scoring two personal bests and a purple final sector setting a 1:17.166 and was a narrow 0.067 seconds quicker than team-mate Sainz whilst Verstappen was a further 0.120 seconds off in third.
On the final flying tours, Leclerc and Sainz were unable to improve but managed to hold the front-row of the grid despite Verstappen’s personal best in sector one and purple middle sector bringing the Dutchman within a tenth of the leading Ferrari in third.
Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Daniel Ricciardo scored a season-high fourth on the grid and ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez who starts his home Grand Prix in fifth.
A late improvement saw Mercedes’ Sir Lewis Hamilton jump to sixth and ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri who was seventh and team-mate George Russell who placed eighth.
Alfa Romeo pairing Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu lock-out the fifth row of the grid in ninth and tenth respectively.
In the middle segment, which was topped by Hamilton, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly who qualified outside the top ten in 11th and ahead of Haas F1 Team’s Nico Hulkenberg who placed 12th.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso came 13th in the order and in-front of Williams Racing’s Alexander Albon who had his final improved flyer deleted for exceeding track limits at turn two demoting him to 14th and AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda was the slowest of the Q2 runners in 15th.
In the first qualifying stage, which was topped by Verstappen, Alonso suffered a spin after taking too much kerb into turn three bringing out a yellow flag in the final flyers causing disruption to everyone attempting their respective hot-laps.
Alpine’s Esteban Ocon was on a personal best, but a slow final sector saw the Frenchman knocked out in 16th.
Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen followed in 17th and ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll who took 18th whilst Williams Racing’s Logan Sargeant and McLaren’s Lando Norris brought up the rear with the latter being a shock elimination of the session.
Norris abandoned his initial flying lap on his mediums, while the Briton’s first lap on the softs had those yellows which hampered his chance of progressing.
Verstappen is currently under investigation by the stewards meanwhile Russell, Norris and Zhou are also being investigated for failing to follow the race directors instructions – maximum delta time.
Hamilton and Sargeant are also under investigation for failing to slow under yellow flags.
Tsunoda and Sargeant’s incident for overtaking under yellow flags is too noted by the race stewards.
You can see the full Formula 1 Gran Premio De La Ciudad De Mexico 2023 Qualifying Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2023/races/1223/mexico/qualifying.html
2023 Mexican GP – The Top Three
2023 Mexican GP Pole Position – Charles Leclerc, #16, Scuderia Ferrari, SF-23, 1:17.166:
“To be honest I did not expect to be on pole position today, I thought we were lacking in FP3. We’ve had pretty good pace all weekend, but I’m not sure if it will be enough to challenge for the win. First place here I’m not sure is the best starting place!”
2nd Place – Carlos Sainz, #55, Scuderia Ferrari, SF-23, +0.067s:
“It was a very strange one, the whole weekend I’ve struggled to put a lap together and the first lap I’ve put together is the first one in Q3. I struggle to understand, but we manage to put together a good lap when it counted. We are not as strong in high fuel as in low fuel.”
3rd Place – Max Verstappen, #1, Oracle Red Bull Racing, Honda-RBPT, RB19, +0.097s:
“It’s very difficult, it’s very low grip around here because of the altitude. The last sector we were struggling a little bit more than we liked, but it is a long race, a lot of laps to be raced. I would have liked to start first, but we’ll have a good slipstream down to Turn 1.”
In the earlier FP3 session, it was Verstappen who completed a practice clean sweep, topping the time-sheets by pipping Williams’ Albon by a close 0.070 seconds as the Dutchman’s Red Bull team-mate Perez took third whilst Mercedes’ Russell and McLaren’s Piastri completed the top five. You can see the full Formula 1 Gran Premio De La Ciudad De Mexico 2023 Free Practice 3 Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2023/races/1223/mexico/practice-3.html
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