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Lando Norris declared: "I'm here to win", after producing a monster lap to take pole position for the Mexico City Grand Prix . The McLaren driver was dominant throughout qualifying and received a further boost as his Formula 1 championship rivals failed to make their mark. However, he will be casting anxious glances at the two Ferrari machines lining up behind him. The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez boasts the longest straight down to the opening corner of the entire season and those starting second and third can often exploit the potent slipstream to overtake the pole-sitter. Charles Leclerc discovered tremendous speed in Q3 and utilised it to secure his place alongside Norris on the front row. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton completed the top three to achieve his finest Grand Prix qualifying performance of the campaign. It puts the seven-time F1 champion in a strong position to potentially end his long wait for a maiden Grand Prix podium as a Ferrari driver, which currently stands at 19 appearances and is already a record for the team. While Norris excelled, the other two contenders in the championship battle mounted a disappointing challenge for pole. Red Bull's Max Verstappen , despite his recent form, couldn't find the crucial final flying lap he needed and was forced to accept fifth on the grid. He was beaten out by George Russell in the Mercedes , though championship leader Oscar Piastri managed to go only eighth fastest. He moves up one spot to seventh in the starting order due to Carlos Sainz serving a grid penalty. Sainz's penalty is a carryover from last weekend's United States Grand Prix , where he was penalised for colliding with Kimi Antonelli but couldn't serve a time penalty in Austin due to being forced to retire with damage. As a result, he drops from seventh to 12th on the starting grid, though he remains well ahead of team-mate Alex Albon who suffered a Q1 exit. Brit Oliver Bearman maintained his impressive form with a third Q3 appearance in as many Grands Prix in his Haas and starts ninth. Yuki Tsunoda also benefits from Sainz's grid penalty, rising to 10th having narrowly missed out on a place in the final part of qualifying.
