The Japan Times - McLaren's Norris takes stunning pole in Mexico ahead of both Ferraris

Norris's team-mate and series leader Oscar Piastri, who leads him by 14 points in the championship, qualified down in eighth after a disappointing session, three places behind four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull, who is 40 points behind in third.

The 25-year-old Briton clocked a best lap of one minute and 15.586 seconds to beat Leclerc by 0.262 seconds with seven-time champion Hamilton three-tenths adrift.

Mercedes’ George Russell was fourth ahead of Verstappen and Italian teenage rookie Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, Carlos Sainz of Williams and Piastri. Sainz faces a five-place grid penalty.

Racing Bulls' rookie Isack Hadjar was ninth and Oliver Bearman of Haas 10th.

It was Norris’s first pole in Mexico, his fifth this season and the 14th of his career as well as McLaren’s first Mexico pole since 1990.

"I'm happy to be back on pole, it's been a long time," said Norris whose last pole came at the Belgian Grand Prix in July.

"My lap – it was one of those laps where you don't know what happened - it felt decent, but when I saw it was a 15.5, I was surprised.

"I've had some good races here in the past and I'll just focus on what I can control.

"I'm here to win," Norris added. "I'll be looking forward, I have some quick guys behind me -- I'm not expecting it to be easy."

Leclerc called it a "difficult qualifying because there is so little grip.

"It's very tricky, but I am happy with the job I've done," he said.

- Hamilton breakthrough -

Hamilton, having taken his first top three qualifying spot since joining Ferrari, said: “I am so happy. I am honoured to be here with these guys who have been so quick all year – and my first top three all year!”

In hot conditions and a festive atmosphere, Aston Martin's two-time champion Fernando Alonso clocked an early opener before being overhauled by Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg and then a flying Norris in 1:17.147.

Leclerc went second, adrift by a tenth, but Piastri was seven-tenths slower in 10th.

The track was ramping up in the sunshine, enabling faster laps and the entire field were within a second of Norris before Hadjar, sporting an Alain Prost tribute helmet to mark the four-time champion’s 1990 win in Mexico, went top in 1:16.733 with a late lap ahead of Hamilton.

It was the first time this year that a Racing Bulls driver had been on top in any segment of qualifying.

Both Alpines, Lance Stroll of Aston Martin, Williams’ Alex Albon and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto were eliminated in a tight finish as tyres and temperatures emerged as decisive factors.

Q2 began with fast laps on new softs from Verstappen and Leclerc before Norris went top in 1:16.252, four tenths clear Leclerc. Piastri was a second down on his team-mate in 10th after the first runs and complained of a powertrain issue that hampered him.

Verstappen led the way again for the second runs and with the aid of a tow from team-mate Yuki Tsunoda went second, 0.353 off Norris's lap, before being beaten by Hamilton while Piastri squeezed into the top ten in seventh. Hadjar hung on in 10th.

Out this time went Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon of Haas, Hulkenberg, Alonso and Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls.

Verstappen led the way again in Q3 to clock 1:16.455 and was overhauled immediately by Norris in 1:16.170. Hamilton went second before Leclerc soared to the top in 1:15.991 – an improvement of seven-tenths to secure provisional pole.

Ferrari were clearly enjoying a surge of pace that left Piastri fifth behind both of his main title rivals and set up a thrilling finale with the second Q3 runs.

This time, the Australian was first out of the pitlane, hoping for a dramatic change of fortunes. Instead he wound up eighth as Norris charged to the top.

H.Hayashi--JT