McLaren sent out a statement about their pace ahead of Mexico City Grand Prix qualifying at 10pm as Oscar Piastri led title-contending team-mate Lando Norris in a one-two for the team in a Practice Three session which saw Max Verstappen finish half a second off their pace.
In the first true representative session of the weekend at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez after disrupted and confusing practice running on Friday, McLaren hit the front on the low-fuel qualifying simulations late in P3 with Piastri setting the pace from Norris by a margin 0.059s thanks to a quickest lap of 1:16.492.
Ferrari had impressively led the way in the initial running, establishing their own one-two, but could not respond to McLaren’s late step forward in pace on fresh soft tyres with Carlos Sainz dropping to third and 0.3s off the papaya pace.
Max Verstappen was fourth but a whopping 0.511s adrift of Red Bull’s main rivals as the world champion’s struggles so far in Mexico continued.
After power unit problems had heavily restricted his running on Friday, Verstappen returned to the track on Saturday armed with a different engine fitted in his RB20 and, while that ran without issue, the overall handling of his car remained far from the world championship leader’s liking.
“Ah this doesn’t ****** work,” said a frustrated Verstappen towards the end of the session in possible reference to a set-up trial.
“There’s no grip front and rear.”
The situation appeared even worse for team-mate Sergio Perez, the home Mexican driver running off track on the way to 14th.
With McLaren seemingly now favourites for the front row in qualifying, Sky Sports F1’s Karun Chandhok said: “I’m fascinated to see up at the front whether Ferrari and Red Bull can challenge McLaren.
“It’s not just one driver, but both McLaren drivers were a big chunk ahead of the field.”
Lewis Hamilton was fifth quickest in the lead Mercedes as George Russell returned from his heavy P2 crash in eighth, while Charles Leclerc was only sixth on the qualifying simulations in the second Ferrari having run second to Sainz early on.
Just like last year, when Daniel Ricciardo took a surprise fourth on the grid, RB appear to be enjoying the thin air of Mexico City and finished with both their cars in the top 10 of final practice, Yuki Tsunoda taking seventh and Liam Lawson 10th.
Kevin Magnussen, fresh from finishing seventh in the Austin Sprint this time last week, was the lead Haas in ninth.
Can Norris capitalise on Verstappen’s struggles so far?
After the drama, controversy and ultimate disappointment of Austin for Norris last week, the Briton’s already-uphill task of catching and passing Verstappen for the world title has increased from Mexico onwards with the McLaren driver knowing he needs to somehow try and outscore Verstappen by an average of almost 12 points per race over the five race weekends that remain.
To make that happen he needs several cars finishing between himself and his Dutch rival and, on the early evidence of this first weekend at least, Mexico could be a chance for Norris to at least take a first step towards establishing that kind of run.
Verstappen has not appeared happy with his RB20 since it set four wheels on to the track on Friday, when the world champion’s day was heavily curtailed by repeat power unit problems which Red Bull traced to a leakage in the intake air circuit.
That unit was taken out of the car and replaced with one already in the ‘pool’ and used this season, meaning no grid penalty needed to be applied.
But having already gone one unit beyond his penalty-free allocation for the season at August’s Belgian GP, the prospect of Verstappen needing a further unit at some point over the season’s deciding five races – something that would trigger another grid penalty – has perhaps increased.
Sky Sports F1’s live Mexico City GP schedule
Saturday October 26
9pm: Mexico City GP Qualifying build-up*
10pm: Mexico City GP Qualifying*
Sunday October 27
6.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Mexico City GP build-up*
8pm: THE MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX*
10pm: Chequered Flag: Mexico City GP reaction
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event (Race build-up on Sunday from 7.30pm)
Formula 1’s Americas triple header continues this weekend with the Mexico City Grand Prix, with every session live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime