Was the Thai MotoGP a crucial victory for Francesco Bagnaia? “Definitely”

“In terms of emotions and mindset, it held great significance”

Francesco Bagnaia expressed that winning the MotoGP Thai Grand Prix was essential for boosting his self-assurance, especially after narrowing the gap with Jorge Martin in the championship standings.

On Sunday, the factory Ducati rider overcame a challenging sprint race from the previous day in Buriram, where he had given up two points to Martin, to take command of the wet grand prix.

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On the fifth lap, Bagnaia took the lead after Martin veered off the track at Turn 3. Despite facing significant pressure from Marc Marquez, Bagnaia was further aided when a crash involving the Gresini rider secured his dominant position.

Bagnaia secured his ninth grand prix triumph of the season, finishing 2.9 seconds ahead of Martin. This marked his inaugural victory in wet conditions, narrowing Martin’s championship advantage from 22 points to 17, with just two rounds remaining.

When questioned about whether winning in Thailand was essential, he responded with a firm "Absolutely."

Regarding the championship, it didn't change much. However, emotionally and mentally, it held great significance—not only for me but for him as well.

"It's a positive day overall for us. The 17-point difference is a favorable figure in my opinion."

He mentioned, "Today was about making a change, and fortunately, we succeeded."

"I would like to offer this win to my team. Earlier today, we had a discussion about ways to enhance our performance since I was having significant difficulties with braking."

"We've achieved it once more! I'm incredibly pleased. The race was challenging due to its length and the pressure involved, but right from the start, I sensed I was in great form and noticed Jorge was really pushing hard."

"I opted to wait an additional two laps to ensure the rear was better prepared, and once it was, I attempted to close the gap and catch up with him."

"I managed to widen the gap, but Marc was putting in a lot of effort. On the lap where he crashed, we were already two-tenths of a second quicker in the third sector, making it an outstanding lap with remarkable speed."

"I realized that securing first place instead of second was crucial to earn additional points for the championship."

When questioned about the challenges he faced during the dry sprint race on Saturday, Bagnaia simply referred to it as a "box secret" and noted that the team had been "too cautious" about a certain aspect.

Bagnaia discussed why it took until now for him to secure his first victory in Thailand.

"I kept crashing, but I never managed to go fast enough," he explained.

"Back in Thailand two years ago, I was in contention for victory in the rain, but ended up finishing just two seconds off the lead."

"The speed was present, though it wasn't sufficient. Right from the beginning, I had strong faith in making it happen, and it turned out to be the optimal moment."

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Brad Binder Clarifies Harsh Interaction with Quartararo During Thai MotoGP Sprint

"…My handlebars were fully turned. Apologies to him."

Brad Binder has clarified that an additional shift in gears caused an unforeseen level of engine braking, resulting in a forceful overtaking maneuver on Fabio Quartararo during the initial lap of the Thai MotoGP Sprint race.

Beginning in the second line, the rider from Monster Yamaha quickly found himself in seventh place, as Binder climbed from 13th to secure the eighth spot.

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However, the duo became entangled at Turn 8, causing Quartararo to fall to eleventh place.

"Today went pretty well, except for the first lap with Brad Binder, where his overtaking maneuver was a bit too forceful. I ended up losing quite a few spots," Quartararo remarked.

The rider from France crossed the finish line in tenth place, closely following Binder on his KTM.

"Binder mentioned, 'I slipped up on the initial lap.' He elaborated, 'Typically, we downshift to 2nd gear after being in 3rd, especially before taking the right turn."

"I shifted into third gear, then up to fourth, before dropping back into third as I overtook Fabio on the inside."

"As you're aware, we've configured the engine brake to engage in each gear. Specifically, for the 3rd gear, the braking force was significantly increased to accommodate for the straightaway."

"I made the turn, and it ended up [at an angle] because the steering lock was on. My apologies to him."

Following an impressive start, the South African faced challenges maintaining rear grip throughout the remainder of the 13-lap race.

"When the grip at the back diminishes, your ability to halt is compromised, maneuvering becomes sluggish, and that's when the front begins to fail too."

"As you accelerate [upon exiting] and reach the middle [of the tire], it begins to spin."

Binder, who concluded the race trailing the leading group of eight Ducatis, currently maintains a 12-point lead over his soon-to-be teammate Pedro Acosta in the contest for fifth place in the global championship.

Acosta fell from fifth position during the initial phases.

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Results from the Warm-up Session of the 2024 Thai MotoGP in Buriram

The warm-up session results for the Thai MotoGP, held in Buriram as the 18th round out of 20 in the 2024 global championship.

* Newcom

Buriram MotoGP Official Records:

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Fastest lap: Francesco Bagnaia clocked at 1 minute and 28.700 seconds (2024)

Quickest lap time in the race: Marco Bezzecchi clocked at 1 minute 30.896 seconds (2023)

The first rain-soaked laps of the weekend occurred during the morning warm-up for the Thai MotoGP at Buriram.

Marc Marquez led the pack on the intermediate wet tires, outpacing championship frontrunner Jorge Martin and Repsol Honda's Luca Marini.

The track is gradually drying, but additional light rain and possibly intense storms are expected to occur over the course of the day.

Miguel Oliveira remains out of action due to wrist fractures sustained in Mandalika and will be substituted at Trackhouse by Aprilia's test pilot, Lorenzo Savado.

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2024 Thailand Motorcycle Grand Prix, Buriram – Practice Session Outcomes

Practice session outcomes for the Thailand Motorcycle Grand Prix held in Buriram, marking the 18th event (out of 20) in the 2024 global championship.

* Beginner

Official Motorcycle Grand Prix Records for Buriram:

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Fastest lap: Francesco Bagnaia clocked at 1 minute and 28.700 seconds (2024)

Quickest lap time in the race: Marco Bezzecchi clocked in at 1 minute and 30.896 seconds (2023)

The Buriram circuit experienced its initial rain-affected laps of the weekend during the Sunday morning warm-up session for the Thai MotoGP.

Marc Marquez led the pack on the medium wet tires, surpassing the championship frontrunner Jorge Martin and Repsol Honda's own Luca Marini.

As the track begins to dry gradually, additional rain showers and possibly intense storms are expected to occur over the course of the day.

Miguel Oliveira remains out of action due to injuries to his right wrist sustained in Mandalika, with Aprilia test pilot Lorenzo Savado stepping in for him at Trackhouse.

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Fabio Quartararo criticized Franco Morbidelli for making a reckless move during the Thai MotoGP, which led to Quartararo crashing on the fourth lap.

The MotoGP Thai Grand Prix held this weekend started with high tension but became less dramatic as it progressed. A significant incident early in the race involved a collision between Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo, resulting in Quartararo's fall.

Quartararo got back on his Yamaha M1 and ended the race in 16th place. Meanwhile, Morbidelli later crashed at the same corner where he had collided with Quartararo, following a long lap penalty for reckless riding.

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For Quartararo, Franco Morbidelli's maneuver at turn eight during the fourth lap felt like a "suicide attack." This incident marked the second time in two days that Quartararo's race was impacted at that particular corner, following an earlier encounter where Brad Binder forced him onto the exit kerb during the Sprint race.

Quartararo expressed frustration over turn eight, stating, "I'm not sure what happened with this corner, but twice in a row, I've been forced out of the race by two different people."

"Yesterday's action was quite forceful, but today's was more of a desperate attempt. However, that's the nature of the competition. Sadly, we were unable to manage the other participants' maneuvers."

While addressing the press following the race in Thailand, Quartararo admitted he had not witnessed the maneuver. However, he was puzzled by what seemed to him like Morbidelli's urgent attempt to overtake him.

Quartararo mentioned that he didn't notice the incident involving Morbidelli. However, he did observe that Morbidelli approached him very quickly at turn eight. Quartararo believes that Morbidelli was quite distant during the braking phase and then suddenly let go of the brake.

"Overall, I believe the decision was overly optimistic. Earlier today, he was incredibly quick. He only needed to be patient for one more straight, and he could have passed me at the third turn."

"There were still 20 laps remaining in the race, so I doubt that being three corners further back would prevent him from reaching the podium or winning. Therefore, I have nothing else to comment on regarding the incident."

Morbidelli admitted, "I was at fault." The Italian rider had a different perspective on the event, suggesting that it wasn’t a reckless move. He clarified that Quartararo had slowed down sooner than expected, and his maneuver to the inside was an attempt to steer clear of a collision.

"It was very unfortunate," Morbidelli commented. "I was making an effort to catch up, moving at a fast pace, and I was attempting to regain my initial position, pushing myself to advance as quickly as possible."

"However, I did make an error when it came to Fabio Quartararo."

"I wasn't planning to pass him, but he slowed down slightly before I did. At that moment, I thought, 'Alright, I need to make my move and hope he notices me.'"

However, he did not manage to do so. I likely got there too late, leading to us making contact. As a result, he fell, which spoiled his race and set off a chain of events that negatively impacted my own race.

"I received a long lap penalty, and while trying to make up for it, I experienced a minor slide in turn eight, causing me to crash. The corner was particularly slick today."

Morbidelli mentioned that errors were the main factor that ruined a weekend where he demonstrated good speed and promise.

He stated, "Throughout this weekend, our speed was impressive, but I made errors when it mattered most."

"During the qualifying session yesterday, we had the potential to secure a spot in the front row. However, due to a crash I experienced at turn nine, we ended up starting in 11

"Beginning from the 11th position today, I was trying to make up ground too hastily. It's unfortunate, but we'll take this as a lesson. Moving forward, we'll aim to maintain our speed while being more precise during crucial times."

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Marc Marquez tops the charts in a rain-soaked Thai MotoGP morning session

Marc Marquez dominates the wet warm-up session for the MotoGP race in Buriram, Thailand.

Marc Marquez was the fastest in the dry Friday practice and reclaimed his position at the forefront of the Thai MotoGP rankings during a rainy morning warm-up session in Buriram.

Even though the shower has ceased, the skies are still overcast, and weather predictions indicate more rainfall could occur throughout the day.

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Marquez, expressing his desire on Saturday for at least one rainy race this season, cautioned that the track was extremely slick after he topped the session, outpacing championship frontrunner Jorge Martin.

Pramac Ducati's Martin widened his lead in the points race against Francesco Bagnaia to 22 points by securing second place, just behind Enea Bastianini, in the Sprint.

Luca Marini capitalized on the rainy weather to surge forward in the rankings, securing a third-place position for Repsol Honda. He was closely trailed by Franco Morbidelli from Pramac and the KTM riders Pedro Acosta and Jack Miller.

Maverick Vinales took the top spot for Aprilia, finishing seventh, with Marco Bezzecchi and the current two-time champion, Bagnaia, trailing behind him.

Brad Binder, finishing 16th, along with Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo in 17th place, and the victor of the Sprint, Bastianini, who ended up 18th, were positioned lower in the rankings during the rainy conditions.

This morning, Augusto Fernandez of Tech3 was the sole rider to experience a fall.

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Marc Marquez tops the charts in rainy Thai MotoGP practice session

Marc Marquez dominates the soggy morning practice session for the Thai MotoGP in Buriram.

Having been the fastest in the dry practice on Friday, Marc Marquez reclaimed his position at the forefront of the Thai MotoGP rankings during a rainy morning warm-up in Buriram.

Even though the rainfall has ceased, the skies are still overcast, and meteorological predictions indicate additional heavy showers are expected throughout the day.

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Marquez, expressing his desire on Saturday night for at least one rain-affected race this year, cautioned that the track was extremely slick after he topped the session, outpacing championship frontrunner Jorge Martin.

Pramac Ducati competitor Martin widened his lead in the points tally against Francesco Bagnaia to 22 by securing a second-place finish, just after Enea Bastianini, in the Sprint.

Luca Marini capitalized on the rainy weather, securing a third-place finish for Repsol Honda, with Franco Morbidelli of Pramac and the KTM riders Pedro Acosta and Jack Miller trailing behind.

Maverick Vinales topped the Aprilia team by finishing seventh, with Marco Bezzecchi and the current two-time champion Bagnaia trailing behind.

Brad Binder, finishing 16th, alongside Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo in 17th place and the Sprint victor Bastianini in 18th, found themselves lower in the rankings during the rainy conditions.

This morning, Augusto Fernandez of Tech3 was the sole rider to experience a fall.

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Pedro Acosta described the Thai MotoGP showdown as a decisive moment, saying, "Fortunately, we managed to avoid any major mistakes." He added that the race felt like a "now-or-never" situation.

Pedro Acosta expressed that his intense competition for a podium finish with his KTM teammate Jack Miller during the MotoGP Thailand Grand Prix felt like a "do or die" moment. He was satisfied that they managed to avoid any mishaps.

The newcomer from Tech3 had an accident during Saturday's sprint race while he was in the top five positions. He also had a rough beginning to the 26-lap grand prix on Sunday, which was held in wet conditions.

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As the race progressed, Acosta made a strong push to secure a podium spot, overtaking factory KTM racer Miller for third place during the second-to-last lap. This exciting duel spanned from Turn 3 to Turn 7.

This was Acosta's first time finishing on the podium and completing a race since the Indonesian Grand Prix.

"It was definitely a really great contest," he commented regarding his clash with Miller.

"I realized it was a fight for a podium finish, and it was a critical moment to act."

"It's always a great experience to compete against Jack. He has an aggressive style, but he stays within the rules. I found it very enjoyable."

"Fortunately, we avoided creating any chaos, otherwise we would have spent a long afternoon dealing with it in the garage."

"In any case, it's important to stay positive and look for ways to enhance our performance in the initial stages of the races."

Following his crash on Saturday, Acosta stated that he would have to reassess his racing strategy to avoid losing strong finishes when there's nothing additional to gain.

He understood this after making numerous mistakes at the start of the grand prix and believes this outcome should serve as a reminder to "keep in mind the importance of completing races."

"We should feel joyful since we finally completed a race after numerous attempts," he mentioned.

"This is positive. We should keep moving forward with the mindset that even if things aren't going our way, we can still turn the situation around."

"We should try to remain a bit more composed to gain from that experience. However, today turned out to be a positive day."

"It’s possible that I had difficulty finding my pace compared to the warm-up session, and I also veered off course during the early phase of the race at Turn 3, as well as at Turn 1."

"I thought it might be a good idea to take a step back and maintain a steady rhythm."

"Indeed, towards the conclusion of the race, something inexplicable occurred, and suddenly I picked up tremendous speed. We should feel pleased and keep in mind the importance of completing races."

Acosta lacks significant experience with MotoGP bikes in wet weather, and he frequently faced challenges in maintaining performance during rainy conditions in other grand prix categories.

When questioned about his competitiveness in Thailand, Acosta responded: "Honestly, I'm not quite sure why I wasn't consistently competitive in Moto2."

"The only time I was really quick was in last year's Australian race, where I started from the back of the grid."

"I was never particularly speedy, as I recall that in 2022 I began the race in fifth place, but by the time I reached the second corner, I had dropped to around 20th position."

"I'm not sure. Riding in Moto2 with the Dunlop tires was challenging because they felt very hard."

"The performance improved significantly after switching to Michelin tires, and it's noticeable that riders on KTM bikes excelled in these challenging conditions."

"Think back to Miguel Oliveira's performance in Thailand in 2022, Brad Binder's speed in the wet conditions at Spielberg, and the impressive pace Pol Espargaro showed at the start of the project."

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2024 Mexico City Grand Prix F1 Qualifying Summary

Here's a rundown of the events from the F1 qualifying rounds for the Mexico City Grand Prix. Stay tuned to Crash.net for post-qualifying analysis and a preview of Sunday's race in Mexico.

The complete lineup following an exhilarating qualifying round in Mexico

The Ferrari racer secures the top starting position, clinching pole by clocking in at 1 minute 15.946 seconds, leading Verstappen by 0.2 seconds. Norris and Leclerc round out the leading quartet.

Leclerc begins his last lap in the third qualifying session. And off we go…

Sainz, Leclerc, Russell, Hamilton, Norris, Gasly, Albon, Hulkenberg, and Magnussen are all notable figures in the context mentioned.

Verstappen has yet to post a lap time.

Sainz clocked in at 1 minute and 16.055 seconds, leading Leclerc by 0.3 seconds. Right as the Ferraris recorded their times, Verstappen's top lap was disqualified for exceeding the track boundaries.

Verstappen clocked in at 1 minute and 16.368 seconds, leading Norris by 0.6 seconds. An impressive way to kick off Q3.

Is there anyone who can prevent Norris from securing yet another pole position?

🚩 ALERT! 🚩A crash involving Tsunoda at Turn 12 during the closing stages of Q2 halts the session! This incident blocks his teammate Lawson, along with all other drivers, from posting better times! #F1 #MexicoGP

Tsunoda, Lawson, Alonso, Stroll, and Bottas.

Tsunoda's accident signals the end of Q2, happening with just 10 seconds remaining.

Leclerc clocked in at 1 minute and 16.641 seconds, placing him in fourth position overall. Sainz managed to secure a spot just ahead of him.

Magnussen, Stroll, Hulkenberg, Bottas, and Leclerc.

Norris clocked in at 1 minute and 16.301 seconds, leading Verstappen by 0.3 seconds.

Verstappen clocked in at 1 minute and 16.629 seconds, leading Sainz by 0.4 seconds. Albon, driving for Williams, matched Sainz's pace, trailing by the same margin with an impressive lap.

Albon hits the circuit in the Williams as the second qualifying round gets underway.

Eliminated in the first quarter: Colapinto, Piastri, Perez, Ocon, and Zhou.

Piastri and Perez appear likely to be eliminated in the first qualifying round. Unexpected developments are unfolding in Mexico.

He advances to the 14th position. Perez ranks 15th in this instance.

His lap time was invalidated due to exceeding the track limits at Turn 12. At the moment, he's in the relegation zone.

He sets a new standard with a time of 1 minute and 16.505 seconds, leading Verstappen by 0.4 seconds.

Colapinto, Ocon, Zhou, Piastri, and Perez.

Anticipate significant enhancements moving forward.

Gasly and Hulkenberg climb into the top three positions as the track activity intensifies, causing Russell to fall into the elimination zone.

Currently, Perez, Ocon, Zhou, Lawson, and Hulkenberg have been eliminated in the first qualifying round.

Verstappen clocked a time of 1 minute and 16.998 seconds on the soft tires, leading Norris by 0.2 seconds.

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Enea Bastianini rejects notion of supporting Pecco Bagnaia's championship ambitions

Enea Bastianini exited the MotoGP title race following the Thai Grand Prix

Enea Bastianini's 14th-place result in the MotoGP Thai Grand Prix eliminates his chances of winning the title this season. Despite this, he insists he will not shift his attention to assist his Ducati factory teammate, Francesco Bagnaia.

Bastianini began the race next to Bagnaia in the second spot on the front row, but he fell back at the start and was in 13th position by the conclusion of the opening lap.

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"Frankly speaking, I'm not sure what occurred right from the beginning, as I dropped several positions. Even coming out of the first corner onto the straight, it felt like my bike had 30 horsepower less," Bastianini remarked following the Thai Grand Prix.

Nevertheless, he proceeded to clarify that, following the guidance of the Ducati Lenovo Team, he deliberately chose not to utilize the front start device on his Desmosedici GP24.

Martin and Bagnaia are separated by 17 points, keeping the championship battle very much active 🏆#MotoGP #ThaiGP pic.twitter.com/BQdWqjFpNj— Crash MotoGP (@crash_motogp) October 27, 2024

Bastianini explained, "At the start, I didn't use the front device. The team advised me against it, suggesting that avoiding it would prevent potential spinning issues."

"In the end, the rider equipped with the front device was significantly more competitive than I was at the beginning."

Following a disappointing beginning, Bastianini made impressive progress through the pack and had reached seventh place before he fell during the ninth lap.

"Following the start, I needed to heat up the tires because the initial lap was a catastrophe," Bastianini stated.

"However, following that point, I gained confidence and my speed increased with each lap."

I was in seventh place, quite near the race leader since we were all bunched up at that point. However, as I approached turn eight, I went in slightly quicker than I did on the previous lap and ended up losing my front grip.

"I felt reasonably confident given the circumstances, but then I ended up failing."

Before his crash, Bastianini's performance in the race marked a significant improvement. He had faced difficulties during the Warm Up, which was the only other wet session of the weekend. This led him to make adjustments to his setup.

Bastianini explained that they adjusted the configuration slightly, as he was using extremely stiff springs during the Warm Up, making it challenging to maneuver the bike.

During the race, things went well overall, but the biggest issue was with the front, as it kept becoming unstable frequently.

"I occasionally face this issue in dry weather, but when it's wet, the problem becomes more erratic, making it harder for me to manage."

Bastianini's accident, which led to him finishing in 14th place, has now ensured that he cannot win the championship as he prepares to join Tech3 KTM next year.

The championship will be determined between Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia. Martin currently holds the lead in points following his performance at the Thai Grand Prix, while Bagnaia, who emerged victorious in the same race, is in second place in the riders’ rankings.

"At this point, the competition for the championship is down to just two competitors, Jorge Martin and Francesco 'Pecco' Bagnaia," Bastianini stated.

"[Bagnaia] showcased an astonishing level of skill today. Additionally, I talked to him prior to the race, and he didn't seem very optimistic about it."

During the warm-up, neither he nor I were particularly quick, but by the time the race came around, we were competitive.

"He had a bit of good fortune early on, as he led the race in the initial laps, making things somewhat simpler for him. However, towards the end, he made a strong effort and secured the victory. The gap between Martin and Bagnaia is now 17 points."

In reflecting on my performance, I missed an opportunity to gain a lot of points. This was especially true since [Marc] Marquez also had an accident. Wet track conditions increase the likelihood of errors.

Bastianini clarified that both he and Marc Marquez have a riding style that increases their chances of making errors in the rainy conditions at Buriram compared to other riders.

Bastianini mentioned that he and Marc have a unique style that sets them apart from the other riders.

"We focus extensively on the front tire, and in situations like today, we found ourselves pushing it to its limits."

With Bastianini mathematically unable to clinch the title, will he now assist his teammate in the championship fight?

He expressed his desire to win in Malaysia, saying, "It's not the right time yet."

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Carlos Sainz secures top starting spot for Mexico City Grand Prix

Carlos Sainz achieves season's first pole position by outperforming Max Verstappen in Mexico's qualifying round.

Carlos Sainz clinched his season's debut pole position, surpassing Formula 1 frontrunner Max Verstappen, at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Departing Ferrari racer Sainz surpassed Red Bull’s Verstappen by a margin of 0.225 seconds to secure the pole position at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Verstappen, currently leading the championship with a 57-point advantage, had his initial Q3 lap disqualified for exceeding track boundaries.

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Verstappen's main competitor, Lando Norris, secured the third quickest time, lagging 0.314 seconds behind the pole position. Historically, starting from the third spot on the grid has been advantageous in Mexico because of the significant slipstreaming opportunity along the circuit’s extended stretch leading to the first turn.

Charles Leclerc found himself starting from the second row in fourth position, unable to keep up with the blistering speed of his teammate at Ferrari.

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes secured positions five and six on the grid, occupying the third row, with Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, trailing by seven tenths of a second.

Kevin Magnussen secured the eighth position, followed by Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Williams' Alex Albon, with his Haas colleague Nico Hulkenberg completing the top-10.

Yuki Tsunoda met with an accident at Turn 12 while on course to claim the 11th position on the grid, just one spot in front of his Red Bull team member, Liam Lawson.

A final red flag halted any attempts at bettering second attempts, resulting in the Aston Martin pair of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll securing the 13th and 14th spots, just in front of Sauber's Valtteri Bottas, who unusually made it to Q2.

Franco Colapinto didn't make it past the first qualifying round and will begin the race in the 16th position for Williams, just in front of McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who unexpectedly did not advance, securing the 17th spot.

The pressure is intensifying for Sergio Perez as the Mexican driver secured a position only good for 18th place, leading to his elimination from the initial stage of qualifying for the fifth occasion this season.

Perez managed to outpace only Esteban Ocon from Alpine and Zhou Guanyu from Sauber.

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Carlos Sainz Secures Pole Position at Mexico City Grand Prix, Outpacing Max Verstappen

Carlos Sainz achieves his season's inaugural pole position by surpassing Max Verstappen during the qualifying rounds in Mexico.

Carlos Sainz clinched his season's inaugural pole position, surpassing F1 front-runner Max Verstappen, at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Departing Ferrari pilot Sainz managed to surpass Red Bull’s Verstappen by a margin of 0.225 seconds to secure the pole position at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Verstappen, currently ahead in the championship standings by 57 points, had his initial Q3 lap time disqualified for exceeding track boundaries.

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Max Verstappen's main competitor, Lando Norris, secured the third quickest time, lagging behind the pole position by 0.314 seconds. Historically, starting from the third position on the grid in Mexico has been advantageous due to the significant slipstream advantage along the extensive straight leading into the first corner.

Charles Leclerc found himself starting from the second row in fourth position, unable to keep up with the blistering speed of his fellow Ferrari driver.

The Mercedes duo, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, secured the fifth and sixth positions on the grid, occupying the third row, with the seven-time world champion Hamilton trailing by seven tenths of a second.

Kevin Magnussen secured the eighth position, followed by Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Williams' Alex Albon, with Haas' Nico Hulkenberg finishing in the top 10.

Yuki Tsunoda met with an accident at Turn 12 while on course to clinch the 11th spot on the grid, just one position in front of his Red Bull team mate, Liam Lawson.

An untimely red flag hindered competitors from advancing their positions with their subsequent attempts, resulting in Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll finishing 13th and 14th, respectively, just before Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas, who unusually made it to Q2.

Franco Colapinto couldn't advance past the first qualifying round and will begin the race from the 16th position for Williams, just in front of McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who unexpectedly did not make it beyond 17th place.

The pressure keeps building on Sergio Perez as the Mexican driver only secured a time that placed him 18th, leading to his elimination from the initial segment of qualifying for the fifth occasion this season.

Perez managed to outpace only Esteban Ocon from Alpine and Zhou Guanyu from Sauber.

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