Valtteri Bottas took an unexpected pole at the Mexican Grand Prix, with Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton making it a front-row lockout.
The Red Bull team were expected to dominate qualifying, but Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez failed to perform and qualified in third and fourth respectively.
It could prove to a be a huge moment in this season’s title race, where Hamilton trails Verstappen in the by just 12 points with five races to go.
The Dutchman was dominant in practice on Friday, with Perez on top in the final qualifying session in front of his home fans on Saturday.
But those performances did not materialise in qualifying, and Red Bull now have problems to solve ahead of Sunday’s race, with the team seemingly having trouble with the rear wing.
The red flags were waved during Q1, after Lance Stroll went into the barriers in a big crash and thankfully emerged unscathed.
When the action resumed, Fernando Alonso was among those eliminated in the first qualifying session.
Hamilton was fastest in Q2, just 0:009s ahead of Verstappen, as it started to become apparent that the Red Bull cars were struggling more than expected.
It was Bottas who led the way after the first run in Q3, ahead of his Mercedes teammate.
Sergio Perez ran wide in his final run, before Verstappen failed to find the necessary grip behind him, and neither could improve on his opening time.
The race in Mexico City did not take place last year due to the pandemic, but the previous four editions have been shared equally between Hamilton and Verstappen.
The Brit came out on top in 2016 and 2019, but in the two years between those it was the Red Bull driver who claimed victory.
Despite the success he has enjoyed, Verstappen is yet to win from pole. The only time he secured pole came in 2019, when he finished the race in sixth after suffering a puncture.
This season’s Formula One title race has been the most exciting for many years, with the rivalry between the two leading drivers intensifying throughout the season and it seemingly inevitable it will come down to the final race in Abu Dhabi.
