Verstappen advances in the first section, and Norris is eliminated

11.35pm – Everyone will go for another round

Currently excluded are Hulkenberg, Gasly, Alonso, Albon, Tsunoda. Everyone stops in the pits, there are two minutes left until the end of the first quarter and everyone will try to do another lap

11.32pm – The Ferraris are also on track

The eighth time for Sainz, and the ninth for Leclerc, as the two red teams seem to be struggling in the second sector (the Spaniard is running on used tires). Piastri flies into second at +249 from Verstappen. 7 minutes left until the end of the second quarter

11.29pm – Perez tries, but Verstappen is faster

A great roar from the Mexican crowd for local star Sergio Perez, who immediately improved his first quarter time by 4 tenths. But first Verstappen and then Ricciardo overtook him

Right on track for Q2, Red Bull and Mercedes are in action. My Ferrari stopped in the pits

11.23pm – Hamilton time has been cancelled

The Mercedes driver is therefore in seventh place (he was penalized because he did not slow down for the yellow flags). Verstappen was fastest in the first qualifying session. Secondly Piasetti, then Ricciardo, Leclerc and Bottas

11.20pm – Norris eliminated from the first quarter

The big guy who was ruled out at the end of the first quarter was Lando Norris. In addition, Ocon, Magnussen, Stroll and Sargeant were also eliminated. Several drivers’ final attempt was damaged by Alonso’s spin, causing a long yellow flag

11.17pm – Verstappen will be investigated

The Red Bull driver will be investigated for obstruction in the pit lane. Also with him are Russell and Alonso

11.13pm – Beautiful roll from Leclerc

Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren are on the right track with medium tyres. Excellent lap from Leclerc who moved to third place with a time of 1:18.401. Sainz is in seventh place

11.09pm – Red Bulls are very fast

Max Verstappen leads (1:18:099), behind him is Ricciardo and Bottas ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez.

11.04pm – The Ferraris are still in the pits

Leclerc and Sainz have not taken to the track yet, and the two reds are waiting. Right now, after the first five minutes of qualifying, Alonso is in front

11.00pm – Qualifiers start

Qualifying for the Mexican Grand Prix begins, and the 18 minutes of Q1 now begin

10.50pm – Everyone ready for qualifications

In Mexico, we are racing in the standard system and everything is ready on track for the first quarter of qualifying, that is, the first qualifying session.

10.46pm – Discussing speed racing, Verstappen: “Let’s change”

(Daniele Sparischi) Forward, slowly, a little race. Next week in Brazil The last of the six mini-races of the season will be held. But the look is becoming less convincing. In Austin, the exclusion of Leclerc and Hamilton highlighted the lack of time needed to prepare the cars with just one free practice session. It’s not the only problem: in fact, the 100km distance is often the ‘spoiler’ of the real race in terms of speed and tire management.

Moreover, the available points (allocated to the top eight) are too few to risk, and calculations rule. Verstappen, who also won his third title on Saturday in Qatar and owns the record for victories in mini-grand prix races (6 since its introduction in 2021), interrupted: “Let’s get rid of them, so everyone can work calmly. Why is there a need to always invent new things? In football, the rules don’t change much… Formula 1 will not follow his suggestions: but measures are being considered to make the races more exciting: a cash prize, a title reserved for whoever wins the most, a starting grid based on the reversed championship standings. The best is behind. Will it be enough?

10.32pm – Training 3, we see Perez

Also the third free practice session for the Mexican Grand Prix He saw Max Verstappen leading the timesheets. Alexander Albon was fantastic, and he continues to show great things every single lap for Williams. The Thai driver stopped 70,000 behind the Dutchman, ahead of Mexican Sergio Perez, who is in third place with the second Red Bull driver, by a little more than ten points behind Verstappen, and motivating him to leave a good impression in his home Grand Prix. The Ferraris that worked on the settings were separated: Charles Leclerc in 13th, Carlos Sainz in 15th.

9.59 pm – Ferrari and the challenge with Mercedes

Ferrari is aiming for Mercedes to finish second in the Constructors’ Championship: at the moment the distance is 22 points (here are the standings). Mercedes looked a bit out of touch in practice (Hamilton and Russell were seventh and 10th) but in reality, the little data on speed looked promising.

9.55pm – Everyone’s so close: exam results

Max VerstappenHe is always there in front of everyone. But the usual dominance was not on display at the Mexican Grand Prix. The Dutchman did not shine with the pace of the race like other times. The gaps are small, and the top ten places are collected in less than a second: they can be very impressive qualifiers. Where maybe it’s the details, the mistake, or the magic that makes the difference. Certainty: McLaren is the second power with Lando Norris, ten behind the world champion. Read the free practice report here

9.52pm – Mexican Grand Prix: where to see it, times

Here’s a guide to following the Mexican Grand Prix with times for qualifying for this evening and tomorrow’s Grand Prix. I read here