Charles Leclerc claimed a surprise Pole Position for Ferrari in Mexico, whilst Daniel Ricciardo is also making headlines with his P4 result.
Ferrari will start the Mexican GP with a front-row lockout, enjoying another strong Saturday performance with the SF-23. Few predicted the Italian team to be the fastest in qualifying, but they proved highly competitive with fresh tyres and minimal fuel. Carlos Sainz was within touching distance of Leclerc, giving Ferrari a chance to defend their lead into turn 1 on Sunday.
Max Verstappen will be frustrated to miss out on Pole Position but is within striking range in P3. Red Bull can be counted upon to perform on race day, and they will surely smell blood from the Ferrari duo tomorrow.
Just behind was perhaps the biggest standout from the session – Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian secured a season-best P4 result for AlphaTauri, positioning himself as the second-highest Red Bull – and ahead of Sergio Perez. Considering the rumours surrounding Red Bull’s driver pairing, this is a huge result for Ricciardo in just his second race post-injury.
Several teams show promise
AlphaTauri has shown pace consistently all weekend, which makes Yuki Tsunoda’s engine penalty a difficult pill to swallow. With that said, the Japanese driver has the tools to contend for points again on Sunday. The fight for P7 and P8 in the team standings is hotly contested, with Alfa Romeo securing a top-10 finish with both drivers.
Alex Albon complained about his Williams FW45’s handling in qualifying, disappointing news after encouraging Free Practice sessions. Still, the Thai driver should be a contender for points in the Grand Prix.
Mercedes and McLaren will be hopeful for more fruitful days tomorrow. The papaya outfit compromised Lando Norris with their strategy, whilst the Silver Arrows lacked pure one-lap performance. Both teams, however, will expect to take a step forward – at least relative to Ferrari – on Sunday.
Alpine and Haas were largely anonymous, firmly embroiled in the midfield scrap. Plenty of variables could impact the Mexican GP result, with crucial points available across the field.
Your final classification after that fascinating session!
This could all chance of course, with a host of investigations from the session yet to start#MexicoGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/elwJac9FPF
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 28, 2023
