Max Verstappen loses pole chance due to Lando Norris track position

The Turn 12 Incident

Max Verstappen lost a chance at pole position during qualifying at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez because Lando Norris occupied the wrong part of the track. Verstappen finished the session in P4, just under two tenths of a second away from Ferrari pole sitter Lewis Hamilton, but the Dutchman says his final lap was ruined at Turn 12. He entered the stadium section after setting the fastest first sector and maintaining a competitive pace through the middle part of the circuit, but his hopes for pole position suffered a setback as he approached the chicane, where he locked up his front-left tyre under braking. He told Viaplay that he picked up dirty air because cars were driving slowly, which caused him to lose time before encountering Norris. He encountered Norris, who sat on the right side of the track, which forced Verstappen to change his entry angle and caused him to lock up. "I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw him. I saw the car on the right, so you lose your braking reference, you have to enter in a little bit of a different angle to the braking point. And in such a tight corner you cannot afford that. That’s when I locked up," Verstappen told Sky Sports. He told Viaplay that he had two cars in front of him, which meant he already lost downforce in Turn 12 before Norris parked his McLaren on the right side where the driver wants to open up for the hairpin. I find his frustration logical because losing a braking reference while driving at the limit in a tight corner makes a lock-up almost certain.

Red Bull performance and the Lawson penalty

The improvement in the RB22 helped Verstappen remain in the fight for the fastest lap despite a difficult weekend. He struggled with the car balance throughout the sessions, but he noted that qualifying brought progress. "For sure we were in that fight for pole, which for me of course is the most important, because all weekend I’ve not been really happy with the car. But then in qualifying we really improved the car, which I think is the most important thing," Verstappen said. He also noted that while the car felt better, he still faced issues with the kerbs. Verstappen will start the race from fifth instead of fourth because of a one-place grid penalty from Friday. He collided with Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson in the penultimate corner of the stadium section during the second free practice session, which resulted in damage to his car and red-flagged the session. Permane, the Racing Bulls boss, rejected Verstappen’s implication that Lawson was looking for a fight, calling the contact unnecessary. Verstappen previously described the contact with Lawson as not very smart behavior. Mekies, the Red Bull team principal, admitted the contact was unnecessary and noted that Verstappen had to carry damage through the rest of the session. His anger was immediately apparent over the radio after completing the lap, where he sarcastically remarked, "F** brilliant from Norris, puts the car there." I see the team principal’s view as a way to de-escalate the tension between the two Red Bull family drivers.

Qualifying results and the Sunday grid

The qualifying order places Verstappen behind Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, and Charles Leclerc. Hamilton took pole, while Russell and Leclerc finished second and third. Verstappen’s teammate, Isack Hadjar, qualified seventh, although the Frenchman also faced an investigation for allegedly crossing the white line at the pit exit. Lando Norris finished sixth, while Oscar Piastri took seventh for McLaren. Verstappen expects a difficult race because the weather will be very hot, which requires him to watch the engine closely. He noted that while he had radio problems last week, they were working fine today. He added that the temperatures in Mexico City make it difficult to assess the situation, so he is unsure how the engine will respond. Verstappen’s P4 finish narrowly beat George Russell, but he will start the race from fifth. The championship standings show Kimi Antonelli leading with 365 points, followed by George Russell with 242 points and Lewis Hamilton with 241 points. Verstappen holds 236 points, while Charles Leclerc has 233 points. Lando Norris has 211 points, Oscar Piastri has 144 points, and Isack Hadjar has 105 points. Liam Lawson has 77 points, Pierre Gasly has 42 points, and Arvid Lindblad has 38 points.