Carlos Sainz clinched pole position for the Mexico City Grand Prix, outperforming Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, while notable contenders Oscar Piastri and Sergio Perez were unexpectedly knocked out in Q1. Sainz described his performance as "almost perfect," successfully navigating the challenging track to secure his first pole since Singapore last year. Verstappen recovered from a deleted lap time to qualify second, while Norris, who excelled in earlier sessions, secured third but couldn't find more pace in Q3. Piastri and Perez’s eliminations marked significant upsets, leaving both drivers struggling with grip and performance issues.