Oscar Piastri's lead of the Formula 1 drivers' championship is under siege after a difficult qualifying session in Mexico.
On a day when his teammate, and title rival, Lando Norris dominated to take pole position for the Mexico City Grand Prix, Piastri could only manage eighth fastest.
Piastri was slower than his teammate throughout the qualifying session, ultimately finishing a sizeable 0.588 seconds slower than Norris.
The Australian can take a small crumb of comfort knowing he will start the race one position higher in seventh, with Williams driver Carlos Sainz being demoted from that grid slot due to a five-place grid penalty.
But Piastri will start well behind Norris, who enters this weekend's race with a narrow 14-point deficit to the Australian.
Piastri said he felt fine driving the car, but was at a loss as to why his pace was so much slower than his teammate.
"It all feels OK, there's just no pace, which is a bit of a mystery," Piastri said after the session.
"It's been more or less the same gap [to Norris] all weekend, so we'll have a look where it was all going wrong.
"Obviously, a bit frustrating."
If Norris continues that streak on Monday morning, AEDT, he could take the lead of the championship if Piastri finished fifth or lower.
Norris was a class above the field at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, producing a sizzling best time of 1:15.586, which was 0.262 quicker than Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who was second fastest.
Norris had been quickest in the final practice session and topped the time sheets at the end of Q2.
But Leclerc produced a storming lap to hold provisional pole after the first flying lap in Q3.
Norris then responded with the lap of the day to secure his first pole position since the Belgian Grand Prix, seven rounds ago.
"I'm happy to be back on pole. It's actually been quite a long time," Norris said.
"I've been feeling good all weekend, especially from today.
"I got a little nervous of the Ferrari in Q3 at the end, but I pulled it out when it mattered and I'm happy because of that."
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes driver George Russell were third and fourth fastest.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who is 40 points adrift of Piastri in the drivers' championship, qualified fifth.
When does the F1 Mexico City Grand Prix begin?
In Australia, the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix will be held on Monday, October 27.
Here is when the race will begin in each of Australia's states and territories:
- 7am AEDT: NSW, ACT, Vic, Tas
- 6:30am ACDT: South Australia
- 6am AEST: Queensland
- 5:30am ACST: Northern Territory
- 4am AWST: Western Australia
How can I watch the F1 Mexico City Grand Prix?
Fox Sports and its streaming platform Kayo will be broadcasting the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Those watching on Foxtel can watch the race on Fox Sports, channel 506.
You can also follow all the action with the ABC Sport live blog, from pre-race drama to the post-race synopsis.
What do I need to know about the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez?
The Mexico City Grand Prix is unlike any other.
The colour and passion in the crowd is unmatched anywhere in the world. And the location is high … very high.
Few images in F1 are better than when the drivers weave their way through an old baseball stadium, with the stands packed with fans.
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is more than 2,000 metres above sea level, providing a unique challenge for teams as the reduced air density at high altitude affects aerodynamic performance and means engines can overheat more quickly.
Turn one is the best overtaking spot on the track, at the end of a long straight, which is also a DRS zone.
Out of first corner, there is a pair of sharp turns before drivers are on another straight down to turn four, the next best overtaking opportunity.
The turn six hairpin can provide an opportunity for drivers to overtake if the driver in front runs wide, while the sharp right-hander at turn 12 is a final true overtaking spot on the lap.
Fast facts about the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
- First race: 1963
- Number of laps: 71
- Lap distance: 4.304km
- Race distance: 305.584km
- Fastest lap in grand prix: 1:17.774 — Valtteri Bottas (2021)
