FACTS AND STATS: Sainz chasing a first Ferrari win in Mexico for over three decades – but Norris arguably has a better starting slot

Carlos Sainz grabbed a brilliant pole for Ferrari in Mexico, the Spaniard excelling on the low grip track with all his rallying pedigree coming to the fore as it so often does in slippery conditions. He starts the Grand Prix alongside his old team mate Max Verstappen, with Lando Norris relegated to the second row alongside Charles Leclerc. But who surprised when the heat was on at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez? Here are all the best facts and stats from qualifying…

• Sainz has qualified 11th, 10th, ninth, eighth, seventh, sixth, fifth, second and now first in Mexico, in that order.

• His last pole was in Singapore in 2023, and he went on to win that Grand Prix. That means Ferrari are the first team to have both their drivers grab a pole this year.

• This was Ferrari’s fourth pole in their last seven visits to Mexico – but they have not won here since 1990.

• Verstappen grabbed second, for the third consecutive Grand Prix.

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• Norris was third, which is McLaren’s best start in Mexico since 1991 when Ayrton Senna was also P3.

• The winner in Mexico has started third here in three of the last four races.

• Leclerc’s fourth means he has been out-qualified by Sainz for the second straight race.

• George Russell out-qualified Lewis Hamilton, with the head-to-head standing at 15-5 to Russell.

• Hamilton was sixth, but he finished the race second from P6 on the grid in 2023.

• Kevin Magnussen will start seventh, having never started higher than P14 in six previous visits here. It also means he has consecutive Q3 appearances, having not made it to the top 10 at all this year until now.

• Pierre Gasly was eighth, his team’s best qualifying in Mexico since 2018.

HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the action from qualifying in Mexico as Sainz storms to pole after shock Q1 exits for Perez and Piastri

• Alex Albon grabbed Williams’ first top 10 start in Mexico since Felipe Massa in 2017. Ninth also ties his best start of the season.

• Nico Hulkenberg was P10 in his ninth Q3 showing of the season as he made the top 10 shootout for the first time in Mexico.

• Yuki Tsunoda was 11th, his highest-ever start in Mexico despite crashing in Q2.

• Liam Lawson was P12, having scored in Austin from 19th on the grid.

• Fernando Alonso qualified 13th, the same as in 2023 at this track. He failed to make Q3 for only the second time in the last nine races, the other being Monza.

• Lance Stroll grabbed his highest start in Mexico City since 2017, having started either last or in the pit lane for the last three years.

• Valtteri Bottas was P15, having failed to make Q3 for the first time in Mexico in his career. But he did end a run of five straight Q1 eliminations, the worst run of his career.

• Franco Colapinto was P16, exiting in Q1 for the second straight weekend. But he did finish 10th in Austin after being knocked out in Q1.

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• Oscar Piastri was 17th, after being quickest in FP3 earlier on. His Q1 time was 1.105s slower than his one from final practice.

• Sergio Perez exited in P18, out in Q1 on home soil for the first time ever. This was his fifth Q1 elimination of the year.

• Esteban Ocon suffered his eighth Q1 exit of the season, as he was eliminated in Q1 here for the second straight year.