Verstappen led teammate ‘Czeco’ Perez in free practice 1, 2 and 3 at home. He was the big favorite to win the pole. In qualifying, he boasted an overwhelming advantage in Q1 and Q2. Immediately the Dutchman got out of the car and was ready to go, as if with his hands up. Mexico’s “Pole Man” Celebrate another joy in your successful year. However, for the second week in a row, there was another surprising development. No one can hit him in the race yet (for now), but it’s starting to become common to fight for pole position with the champion after the corners.

This time it wasn’t Mercedes.was seen by many as a potential rival for Max in Mexico after he advanced with his best performance in Austin. Neither does McLaren.Unfortunately, Norris was eliminated in Q1 and Piastri was unable to secure pole position. Their opponents were Ferrari, and it was the mighty Leclerc who took pole, with the great Carlos Sainz in second, just 67,000ths behind.

Qualifying time (no penalty):

Verstappen was third, also pending possible sanctions. For blocking a number of cars on the pit lane exit during a chaotic late Q1, as the track has improved significantly and everyone is more evenly matched. Each session is an all-out effort.

The red car that was hiding behind the proton in Q1 and Q2 was surprised at the decisive moment. Charles Leclerc took the lead on his first attempt in Q3, with a difference of 0 minutes 120 seconds from Max. Sainz, who could be seen in the distance, also joined them. The Spaniard made a big jump after the weekend, taking second place by just 67,000ths of a second. The final shot will determine pole position again. In Austin, Max exceeded the track limits on his final attempt and finished 6th. This time I received more than warning. He tried, but it didn’t work. The Dutchman was at a disadvantage because he did not set his tires to the correct temperature.

and After the end of this competition, if they decide not to penalize him, he realizes that the Ferrari should not be a problem for him in terms of race pace, and with a desire for revenge he will start from third place. It will be a start. He wants to remove that “thorn” in racing.

It is worth noting that Carlos That this season is on another level.Not limited to poles monzahis career in Italy and his pole position and victory Singapore. Also this Saturday. A year ago, at the wheel of a struggling Ferrari, the Madrid native could never have been in contention for pole. This Saturday, Sainz took another step forward in Q3, at the most crucial steering wheel-burning moment, as he moved much closer to Leclerc, one of the best on the grid by one lap.

Let’s aim for the record

Max is the most successful driver on Mexican soil, with four wins (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022) and a possible fifth win this Sunday. But his victory this Sunday will be much more than that. This means the 26-year-old driver now has 16 wins in 19 races in one season. Last year, Max raised the bar to 15 wins, having already surpassed Michael Schumacher’s record of 13 wins (2004). And this Sunday, he still has three events left, so he’ll be hoping to improve his standings even further in his 16th of the year.

Alonso lost in Q2

Fernando Alonso was 13th as he was very nervous and had difficulty driving his Aston Martin. With three tenths of the time until the time limit, it was clear that all the teams had improved their level and were far from the classification. Equality is increasing, the transition to Q2 is very complex, and there are more and more of them. Norris and Ocon eliminated in Q1, or Ricciardo’s AlphaTauri in 4th place, or Alfa Romeo in 10th place behind Russell (8th place), Piastri (7th place), Hamilton (6th place) and Perez (5th place). There was also a surprise, with Bottas finishing 9th. ). Depending on the layout, any team could advance to Q3. can’t believe it. And as long as current regulations remain in place, the only question is to know when we’ll see a close race for victory. At this time, Max can no longer do so easily in one turn.