Mexico City Grand Prix qualifying results: Lando Norris takes pole position

McLaren pilot Lando Norris increased his championship hopes by taking pole position at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Championship rivals Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri will start the race in fifth and seventh, with both Ferrari drivers and Mercedes’ George Russell ahead of them.

Norris beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.262 seconds, while Lewis Hamilton achieved his best grand prix qualifying position of the season in third place.

Verstappen, who was struggling with his Red Bull in the Esses, was 0.484 seconds behind in fifth place and was defeated by Russell by only 0.036 seconds.

Piastri, who had been off the pace all weekend, briefly rose to third place before being beaten by other drivers on his final lap.

He qualified eighth behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and Williams’ Carlos Sainz, but was moved up one place in the standings by the Spaniard’s five-place grid penalty for causing a crash in Austin last weekend.

More to follow.