The Red Bull driver claimed the 19th pole position of his career at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez track in Mexico City on Saturday night.
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The world champion does not slow down the pace. Max Verstappen set the fastest lap in qualifying for the Mexican Grand Prix on Saturday (October 29th) at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. He will start from the first position on the grid for the race on Sunday, ahead of the two Mercedes of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
Haloed by his second title of world champion, the Dutchman is now hunting for records. By winning his sixth pole position in 2022, in Mexico City, he has put himself in the best conditions to aim for a record 14th victory this season. Jostled by his competitors since the start of the weekend and the free practice sessions, he released a huge last lap in Q3 to settle the rest of the field. However, the session was disappointing for his teammate Sergio Pérez, the stage local, who could not do better than the fourth fastest time.
Our final order from qualifying in Mexico!#MexicoGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/eu0AY7bfeC
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 29, 2022
On the grid on Sunday, Verstappen will be pursued by the two Mercedes of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, 2nd and 3rd respectively. First time in Q1 and Q2, the seven-time world champion had set out to challenge Verstappen to the end but his first good time in Q3 was erased for not respecting track limits, and he could not join the fight.
The two Ferrari drivers also had difficult qualifying. Set back all day on the track at altitude, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were unable to find the right settings. The Spaniard will start 5th, the Monegasque 7th, his worst regular result of the season. On the French side, Esteban Ocon (Alpine) will start from 10th place, while Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) will start 14th, after a difficult Q2 at the wheel of a capricious car.