Verstappen hoping to convert 19th career pole into fourth Mexican victory and take outright record of most wins in a season from German greats Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, who both had 13.<\/strong><\/p>\n IMAGE: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen celebrates after qualifying in pole position for the Mexico City Formula One Grand Prix, at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico, on Saturday. Photograph: Carlos Perez Gallardo\/Pool\/Reuters<\/span><\/p>\n Red Bull’s double World champion Max Verstappen swept to pole position at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Saturday with his sights set on a record 14th victory of the season.<\/p>\n The Dutch 25-year-old, who secured his second successive Formula One title this month with four races to spare, lapped the high-speed Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez with a fastest time of one minute 17.775 seconds.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n George Russell joined him on the front row, qualifying 0.005 ahead of seven-times world champion Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton, with Red Bull’s Mexican Sergio Perez the fourth fastest with the crowd cheering.<\/p>\n “It was a close one,” said Verstappen, who was 0.304 faster than Russell.<\/p>\n “To be on pole here is of course amazing. It’s a very long run to turn one so we do need a good start but anyway I think we have a quick car and that’s what’s most important.<\/p>\n “Checo (Perez) will be there tomorrow. I’m sure we have a quick race car. I hope it will be quite a fun race with a lot of action.”<\/p>\n The pole was the 19th of Verstappen’s career and he will be hoping to convert it into a fourth Mexican victory to take the outright record of most wins in a season from German greats Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, who both managed 13.<\/p>\n Red Bull, fined $7 million on Friday for spending more than allowed last season, have won the last eight races and 15 of 19 so far.<\/p>\n MERCEDES HOPEFUL<\/strong><\/p>\n Once-dominant Mercedes, who have yet to win this year, can take hope from history with the winner of the last two races at the high-altitude circuit coming from third on the grid.<\/p>\n The driver on pole has not won since 2016 and Hamilton won from third in 2019.<\/p>\n “The team deserved more today … I feel like it was our pole to have and it was just a terrible lap from my side, so I’m sort of kicking myself,” said Russell, who felt he might have sneaked it but for a mistake.<\/p>\n “But no points for qualifying and excited to be back on the front row. I’ll be going for it for sure so let’s see what’s possible.”<\/p>\n Hamilton was fastest in the first two phases but his first flying lap in the top-10 shootout was deleted, leaving the Briton with no time on the board and the pressure on to make no mistake.<\/p>\n “This is the best qualifying we’ve had all year, so it just shows that perseverance and never giving up is the way forward,” said the winner of a record 103 races.<\/p>\n “The last lap wasn’t good enough … (but) I’m pretty happy with that position to start, it’s a long way down to turn one.”<\/p>\n Perez said he had an electrical issue throughout qualifying.<\/p>\n “I was pretty much blind through quali. I had no reference lap time, no information on brake balance sometimes, so it was just a mess,” he explained.<\/p>\n “I nearly got knocked out in Q1 and Q2 (the first and second phases), so to be P4 is not the end of the world but I really believed that today we could have fought for pole position.”<\/p>\n Carlos Sainz qualified fifth with Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas splitting the Spaniard from Ferrari team mate Charles Leclerc.<\/p>\n Lando Norris will line up eighth for McLaren with Alpine’s Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon completing the top 10.<\/p>\n Alpine are in a tight battle with McLaren for fourth overall.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n[ad_2]\n<\/p>\n News From This Website <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n