Verstappen and Norris Set for Mexico City Grand Prix Duel
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, fierce championship rivals, are poised for another thrilling duel in Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix after qualifying second and third, respectively.
Verstappen, the three-time champion and series leader, expressed satisfaction with his starting position despite having his first fastest lap in Q3 deleted for exceeding track limits. “I wasn’t sure it would be possible to be on the front row,” he said. “So, to do it makes me very happy!”
Norris, trailing Verstappen by 57 points with five races remaining, was penalized five seconds for running off-track during last Sunday’s United States Grand Prix. He remains determined to find a way to overcome Verstappen and claim the title. “Honestly, I’m pretty happy with third,” he said. “I feel like I got to the limit of the car quite quickly.”
Both drivers acknowledged the challenges of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit. “This is probably one of the hardest tracks to get right,” said Verstappen. “Low downforce, easy to lock-up and to slide … it’s one of the trickiest ones on the calendar.”
Norris added, “No one has done long runs on the tires we will be on tomorrow so there are question marks for us all.”
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. secured pole position, while Sergio Perez and Oscar Piastri, the second drivers for Red Bull and McLaren, respectively, failed to qualify in the top half of the grid.
Norris hinted at potential changes in his approach to passing Verstappen on track. “I might be more aggressive or I might be less aggressive,” he said. “It depends … Let’s see what happens.”
The Mexico City Grand Prix promises to be a captivating battle between Verstappen and Norris, with both drivers eager to gain an advantage in the championship race.
