Mexico City — British driver Lando Norris delivered a commanding performance by seizing the pole position for the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix of Formula 1. The McLaren driver surpassed Monegasque Charles Leclerc of Ferrari in a spectacular qualifying session on Saturday at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
Norris will start from the honored front position on Sunday, followed by Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Max Verstappen will begin from the third row, and Oscar Piastri will start from the fourth row.
Facing a significant threat from Dutch four-time champion Max Verstappen in the world drivers' championship standings, who secured only the fifth fastest time of the afternoon, the English McLaren driver sent a solid warning about his intentions for the championship's conclusion. Norris set a leading time of 1:15.586, just over two and a half tenths ahead of Leclerc, who registered a time of 1:15.848.
"Not even I know how I did that!" Norris commented to his team radio, acknowledging his achievement, which now gives him a major opportunity to close the points gap on his teammate and current championship leader, Oscar Piastri, who managed only the eighth fastest time.
Ferrari Shows Strength in Mexico
After nearly a year without a victory in Formula 1—the most recent being Carlos Sainz Jr.'s win in Mexico on October 27, 2024—Ferrari was hopeful of taking the top spot. Both Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were highly competitive, but their ambitions were halted by an extraordinary performance from Norris.
However, by securing the second and third grid positions, the Ferrari team is in a strong position to challenge for the victory on Sunday and end their winless streak.
Max Verstappen Falls Short of Pole
Although he appeared to be the favorite for the front position, Max Verstappen had to settle for fifth place with a time of 1:16.070. This marked a Saturday performance below expectations for the RB21 car, which had established itself as the fastest over the previous four races. George Russell finished ahead of Verstappen, taking fourth place with a time of 1:16.034.
The most significant setback, however, was dealt to Oscar Piastri, who could only manage the eighth fastest time. He will ultimately start from seventh place due to a five-place grid penalty carried over by Spanish driver Carlos Sainz Jr. from the previous race weekend.
Starting Grid for the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix
- Lando Norris | McLaren
- Charles Leclerc | Ferrari
- Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari
- George Russell | Mercedes
- Max Verstappen | Red Bull
- Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes
- Oscar Piastri | McLaren
- Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls
- Oliver Bearman | Haas
- Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull
- Esteban Ocon | Haas
- Carlos Sainz | Williams
- Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber
- Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin
- Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls
- Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber
- Alex Albon | Williams
- Pierre Gasly | Alpine
- Lance Stroll | Aston Martin
- Franco Colapinto | Alpine
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