F1 Mexico GP Qualifying 2025: Norris Takes Pole in Mexico City

Lando Norris delivered under pressure in Mexico City.
A 1:15.586 around the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. One of those laps that felt bigger than a stopwatch. Charles Leclerc came close, Ferrari suddenly alive again in the thin air. Lewis Hamilton planted the second red car third. Max Verstappen, only fifth, never looked fully at ease. At 2,200 metres above sea level, the margins are razor thin. Norris found grip where no one else could.

Key Points – F1 Mexico GP Qualifying 2025

• Norris takes pole with a 1:15.586, 0.262s clear of Leclerc
• Hamilton completes a Ferrari two three
• Verstappen fifth, just under half a second back
• Antonelli sixth after another composed top ten
• Sainz seventh but carries a five place penalty from Austin
• Piastri eighth after a scrappy session and DRS issues
• Hadjar and Bearman round out the top ten
• Eliminated: Q1 – Bortoleto, Albon, Gasly, Stroll, Colapinto. Q2 – Tsunoda, Ocon, Hulkenberg, Alonso, Lawson

Q1 – Bearman Surprises, Antonelli Survives

The first session was stop-start from the moment the lights went green.
Hadjar lost the rear on entry to Turn 7, spinning hard into the barrier. Red flag. Session halted. The Frenchman climbed out fine but furious, his qualifying done in a blink.

Once barrier repairs were complete, the clock reset with 14 minutes on the board. Temperatures hovered around 48 degrees, and teams split strategies. Ocon, Russell and Sainz ran on used softs. The Racing Bulls and McLaren opted for fresh rubber.

Alonso was first to set a proper marker with a 1:17.9. Bearman then jumped near the top, briefly P2 behind Norris, before Leclerc’s Ferrari slotted in with a sharper 1:17.3. The track was dusty, grip coming and going, everyone searching for clean air.

Then came the surge. Verstappen improved to a 1:16.8, Leclerc to second, Norris close behind. The midfield bunched. Antonelli hovered around the cut line, Russell looked safe, and both Haas cars pushed hard.

The final minute flipped the order. Albon’s best lap was deleted for track limits. Gasly’s final run also went missing. Ocon missed the cut. Bortoleto’s lap improved but not enough. Alonso just sneaked through while Antonelli survived by fractions.

Eliminated in Q1: Bortoleto, Albon, Gasly, Stroll, Colapinto.

Q2 – Norris Commands, Tsunoda Misses Out

The track cooled slightly, but the intensity rose.

Norris opened Q2 with a 1:16.3 on new softs, immediately four tenths clear. Leclerc followed him in P2, Verstappen within reach but complaining of front balance. Hamilton and Russell waited longer, sending their Ferraris and Mercedes out on fresher tyres for the final push.

Behind them, Antonelli and Bearman mixed it with the midfield, both looking sharp again. Alonso ran used tyres early, Ocon too. Tsunoda and Lawson struggled to find rhythm, both outside the top ten from the start.

As the final runs began, traffic stacked up at the pit exit. Hulkenberg had to back off through the stadium. Alonso ran wide. Norris and Leclerc improved again, while Hamilton jumped to second and Russell followed into third.

Antonelli squeezed through in seventh, Piastri just scraped in with a marginal lap after a messy prep run. Alonso and Ocon were done. Tsunoda lost out by two tenths.

Eliminated in Q2: Tsunoda, Ocon, Hulkenberg, Alonso, Lawson.

Q3 – Norris Strikes Gold

Ten cars. Two runs each. Everything on the line.

Verstappen led them out for the first push lap, setting a 1:16.455. Norris matched him through the first sector but found an edge through the stadium. P1. Leclerc went close behind.

Ferrari looked sharper than at any point all weekend. Leclerc took provisional pole with a tidy 1:15.8. Hamilton followed him through into third. McLaren reset, tyres cooled, and Norris waited until the track was at its best.

Final laps. Clean air. A car on rails.
Norris delivered a lap that felt effortless, cutting the kerb perfectly at Turn 3 and threading the final chicane with total confidence. The time flashed up – 1:15.586.

Leclerc tried to respond and fell short. Hamilton improved but stayed third. Verstappen could not find more. Piastri ended eighth, the gap painful on the same tyres.

Provisional Qualifying Classification

Standout Stories

• Norris. Found time where no one else could. That lap will echo into Sunday.
• Leclerc. Ferrari’s resurgence continues. Controlled and clinical all session.
• Hamilton. Smooth, unflustered, effective.
• Verstappen. Not perfect on Saturday, but never out of the fight.
• Piastri. DRS issues in Q1 and tyre prep hurt rhythm. Needs a reset overnight.
• Antonelli. Mature run into Q3 again. Calm under pressure.
• Bearman. Haas confidence building by the weekend.

Sunday Ahead

The grid says McLaren on top, but the story runs deeper.

Ferrari found pace from nowhere. Leclerc’s car looked planted through the middle sector. Hamilton matched it on longer runs. Both will be in play when tyre wear bites.

Piastri starts eighth after a rough day. A DRS fault, traffic, and lost confidence through the final sector left him exposed. He needs patience and a clear strategy window to stay in the fight.

Sainz, with his Austin carry over penalty, slips down the order.

Verstappen, fifth, remains the wildcard. Red Bull’s race balance on Friday hinted at stronger pace over a stint. Cooler air and tyre life could bring him into it quickly.

Altitude changes everything. Engines. Brakes. Strategy windows. Nothing is settled.

Norris holds the cards for now. In Mexico, control rarely lasts long.