Verstappen trailed Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton in each Q1 and Q2 in qualifying on the low-grip Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez observe, however then led from the off within the remaining phase earlier than sealing pole with a quickest time on the loss of life in Q3.
That put him away from George Russell and Hamilton by zero.304s and zero.309s, taking his sixth pole of the 2022 marketing campaign.
Talking within the post-qualifying press convention, Verstappen was delighted along with his end result after coming again in opposition to the Mercedes pair in qualifying.
He was additionally happy his staff produced a easy effort to seal pole at a observe the place the excessive altitude reduces the accessible downforce and leaves automobiles sliding on a floor some drivers have described as ‘like ice’.
“It was a little bit of a difficult begin to qualifying as a result of the observe was a bit hotter than FP3 – so I believe everybody was sliding round a bit extra and it was a bit harder to seek out your rhythm,” Verstappen defined.
“So, it was actually about [learning changes from] Q1-to-Q2-to-Q3 – looking for the steadiness within the automobile once more.
“On the finish of the session it bought a bit higher and in Q3 we lastly might push a bit bit extra with the automobile and [I did] two respectable laps, I believe.
“After all, I’m very pleased with them as a result of round right here it’s very arduous to – for me at the very least – to nail the lap.
“It’s simply very low grip and there are just a few kerbs you need to completely hit to really achieve time.
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
Photograph by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images
“So, it’s undoubtedly not the simplest of qualifyings or races. And the identical for the tyre warm-up. But it surely looks like in Q3 we had the suitable image.”
Verstappen additionally stated that he and Pink Bull had been “simply fine-tuning just a few issues on the [steering] wheel [that] everyone seems to be allowed [to do]” to seek out “an excellent steadiness” in time for the important Q3 runs.
After setting a 1m17.947s on his opening Q3 effort, Verstappen improved to a 1m17.775s on the lap that secured pole – his first on the Mexican observe after he misplaced the accolade in 2019 for a yellow-flag infringement.
When requested by Autosport the place he had improved between the 2 runs, Verstappen replied: “Actually, I believe in all places I simply gained a bit bit – it was not like I made a mistake on my first lap.
“It was simply a few corners the place [there] was possibly tiny observe evolution as effectively. Simply making an attempt to nail it the entire time.”
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