Carlos Sainz Jr. puts Ferrari on the pole in Mexico City as Perez's miserable season continues

MEXICO CITY -- Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. won his first rod of nan play astatine nan Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, and Sergio Perez's miserable Formula 1 season continued Saturday erstwhile he grounded to beforehand retired of nan first information of qualifying astatine nan Mexico City Grand Prix.

“Very happy and awesome mates of laps, a batch of times astir Mexico you ever person a emotion you cannot put a thigh together and it's highly difficult,” Sainz said. “Honestly, my 2 laps were beautiful overmuch identical, almost perfect. Very happy because that's not usually nan lawsuit astir Mexico pinch really tricky it is.”

Three-time defending champion Max Verstappen, who had an motor alteration Saturday, qualified 2nd for Red Bull. Verstappen is simply a five-time victor successful Mexico City.

Lando Norris of McLaren, who is chasing Verstappen for nan driver championship, qualified 3rd and was followed by Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, who won nan United States Grand Prix past week.

Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton qualified 5th and sixth, while Kevin Magnussen of Haas was seventh. Pierre Gasly of Alpine, Alex Albon of Williams and Nico Hülkenberg of Haas rounded retired nan apical 10.

But nan attraction successful Mexico City is connected Perez, who is nether aggravated unit to support his spot pinch Red Bull aft he signed a contract hold successful June.

His mediocre capacity this play — he’s winless for nan first clip since joining nan squad successful 2021, is eighth successful nan driver standings and has collapsed 3 times — has played a domiciled successful McLaren passing Red Bull for nan lead successful nan constructors’ title race.

Perez was visibly irritated aft his mediocre qualifying effort and said his car is not performing to his liking.

“It’s excessively bad, I person galore problems pinch slowing down nan car, galore problems," he said. "Every clip I effort to break, I don’t person nan grip, that’s nan main problem. We spot nan problem and we cognize nan problem that we have, it doesn’t person a speedy fix.”

He will commencement 18th connected Sunday astatine a way notoriously difficult to walk and wherever he collapsed connected nan first thigh past year. He said his strategy for nan title is recovery.

“Get immoderate points and minimize nan damages, it’s nan champion we tin do,” he said. ”It’s a agelong title wherever thing tin happen, we are going to springiness everything. This is nan play erstwhile I want to do my best, unluckily we person not been capable to execute it.”

Although squad main Christian Horner insisted aggregate times this play that Perez is nether statement astatine Red Bull for 2025 — pinch an action for 2026 — location are capacity clauses that could costs Perez his spot astatine nan extremity of nan season.

“I deliberation he’s summed it up perfectly — it’s been a bad twelvemonth for Checo,” Horner said Friday. "We cognize what he’s tin of and we’re hoping that we tin springiness him a set-up and nan assurance successful nan car to extract nan benignant of performances that we cognize he’s very tin of.

“Checo’s our driver. He’s contracted for 2025. He’s competitive. He’s hungry. He’s not happy pinch wherever he presently is. So arsenic a team, we’re doing our very champion to support him,” Horner continued. “Obviously, large play for him here, immense support.”

But he flopped successful qualifying, which bodes poorly for Sunday erstwhile he needs to perform. And it is puzzling to Red Bull considering Verstappen qualified 2nd conscionable 1 time aft suffering done monolithic motor issues.

Red Bull changed nan powerfulness portion up of Saturday's last believe convention and qualifying aft nan Dutchman complained he had “no power.”

To debar a grid penalty, Red Bull pulled an aged motor from it pool. He will apt person a caller motor up of nan adjacent title successful Brazil, wherever he would person a grid punishment but passing isn't arsenic difficult arsenic it is successful Mexico City.

Verstappen will apt beryllium fierce Sunday successful an effort to prehend nan lead distant from Sainz astatine nan start. He had a decent last believe aft nan motor alteration but isn't judge what his Red Bull has for nan race.

“Yesterday I hardly didn't do immoderate laps, truthful playing a batch of catch-up,” Verstappen said. “I was already nether a batch of unit to person a bully qualifying. But very happy to beryllium connected nan beforehand row.”

Oscar Piastri, who was fastest successful Saturday's 3rd believe session, did not beforehand retired of nan first round. Yuki Tsunoda, who is 1 of nan galore drivers hoping to switch Perez astatine Red Bull, collapsed successful nan 2nd qualifying round.

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