Lewis Hamilton secured a stunning pole position for the Mexican Grand Prix after an action-packed qualifying session in Mexico City. The battle for the top spot went down to the finest margins, with several drivers fighting for the leading positions and some unexpected results throughout the session. Here is the full recap of how qualifying unfolded at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Q1

Hamilton topped Q1 with a 1:17.341, finishing just 0.044 seconds ahead of Isack Hadjar, while Charles Leclerc completed the top three for Ferrari. Oscar Piastri secured fourth place ahead of George Russell, Gabriel Bortoleto and Lando Norris, with Nico Hulkenberg following in eighth. It was a less straightforward session for Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen, who only managed ninth and tenth respectively, with the Dutchman finishing six tenths behind Hamilton.

The session was interrupted by a red flag after Fernando Alonso was instructed to stop his Aston Martin on track due to a power unit issue. The Spaniard was unable to continue and finished 18th, joining Sainz, Alex Albon, Ryo Hirakawa, Lance Stroll, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas among the drivers eliminated in Q1. Hirakawa's first Formula 1 qualifying appearance ended in 19th place, while the two Cadillac drivers occupied the final two positions.

Q2

Lando Norris set the pace in Q2 with a 1:16.728, finishing 0.148 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen as the two drivers continued their battle at the front. Ferrari also showed promising pace, with Charles Leclerc taking third ahead of Lewis Hamilton, while both Mercedes drivers made it safely through to the final segment.

The biggest surprise came from Oscar Piastri, whose qualifying session ended in Q2 despite his McLaren teammate comfortably leading the timesheets. The Australian could only manage 13th, almost a second slower than Norris. Nico Hulkenberg narrowly missed out on Q3 in 11th, with Franco Colapinto, Gabriel Bortoleto, Oliver Bearman and Carlos Sainz also failing to progress.

Photo: Race Pictures

Q3

Hamilton produced a sensational lap in Q3 to secure pole position for the Mexican Grand Prix, edging out George Russell by just 0.009 seconds in an incredibly close battle. The Ferrari driver set a 1:16.514 to claim the top spot, with Charles Leclerc completing the top three, 0.119 seconds behind his teammate.

Max Verstappen qualified fourth for Red Bull, narrowly ahead of Kimi Antonelli, who finished just 0.015 seconds behind the Dutchman. Lando Norris could only manage sixth for McLaren, 0.310 seconds off Hamilton's pace, while Isack Hadjar secured seventh place. Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad took eighth and ninth respectively, with Pierre Gasly rounding out the top ten.

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