Verstappen: Aborted Mexico Q3 lap was 'up there for pole'

Max Verstappen felt his final Mexico City GP qualifying lap was “up there for pole” before traffic and a lock-up forced him to abort. He was almost a tenth ahead of poleman Lewis Hamilton after Sector 2, but his run unravelled through the stadium section.

Why it matters:

Verstappen’s lost lap left him fourth before a one-place penalty for his FP2 clash with Liam Lawson dropped him behind Kimi Antonelli. From fifth, his race becomes a recovery job at a circuit where heat, dirty air and overtaking risk all matter.

The details:

• At Turn 12, dirty air cost him time; at Turn 13, he encountered Isack Hadjar and Lando Norris, with Norris pulling right.
• The moving car disturbed his braking reference, causing a lock-up at the Foro Sol left-hander and forcing him to abandon the lap.
• His first Q3 effort was good enough for fourth, but the Lawson penalty moved him back one place.
• He said grip improved after a poor practice and Red Bull was genuinely in the pole fight.

What's next:

Verstappen expects Sunday to be tough on the power unit, with high temperatures and overheating risk in traffic. He would prefer pole to a recovery drive, but knows the start will define his race.