Verstappen rues "destroyed" Mexico pole attempt after Perez/Tsunoda off
Max Verstappen rued losing his "destroyed" final lap in Mexico Formula 1 qualifying after being forced to back out due to cars in front of him going off.
Red Bull went into qualifying at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as the favourite for pole after sweeping to a 1-2 finish in final practice, led by Sergio Perez.
But Mercedes upstaged Red Bull by topping all three stages of qualifying, with Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton taking first and second after the opening runs in Q3.
Verstappen hoped to make up the 0.350s gap to Bottas by getting a tow off Perez on his final run, only to be forced to back out of his lap through the esses after Perez went off ahead, narrowly avoiding AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda who had ran off-track further up the road.
As both drivers came to rejoin the circuit, Verstappen backed out of his lap before locking up in the final sector. He was heard saying over the radio: "Unbelievable, what a dumb idiot."
"It seems like through qualifying, the balance went away a little bit," Verstappen said after the session.
"But then actually in the last lap, I was on for a good lap, but then I don't know what happened in front of me.
"There were two guys going off so I thought there was going to be a yellow flag, so I back out and then the lap is of course destroyed.
"Even with that, and not having a great balance, I think we could have gone for the pole lap.
"Of course third is not amazing, but I think it's still better than starting second."
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB16B
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
The result came as a surprise to Mercedes, who had expected to trail Red Bull thanks to the high downforce requirements of the track in Mexico due to the high altitude conditions.
Red Bull mechanics were seen regularly working on Verstappen's rear wing throughout qualifying, but Verstappen doubted it was "why it was a bit of a struggle for us in qualifying".
The Dutchman enters Sunday's race leading the drivers' championship by 12 points from Hamilton, who will start second on the grid behind Bottas.
"It's just qualifying didn't go our way, but we're not using these tyres anyway tomorrow, so still a lot to fight for," Verstappen said.
Related video
F1 Grand Prix qualifying results: Bottas takes Mexico pole
Hamilton ‘as shocked as everyone’ by Mercedes’ Mexico F1 front row lockout
How Formula E factors could negate Red Bull's Jeddah practice gap to Mercedes
Mercedes led the way in practice for Formula 1’s first race in Jeddah, where Red Bull was off the pace on both single-lap and long runs. But, if Max Verstappen can reverse the results on Saturday, factors familiar in motorsport’s main electric single-seater category could be decisive in another close battle with Lewis Hamilton
Why Norris doesn’t expect Mr Nice Guy praise for much longer
Earning praise from rivals has been a welcome sign that Lando Norris is becoming established among Formula 1's elite. But the McLaren driver is confident that his team's upward curve can put him in the mix to contend for titles in the future, when he's hoping the compliments will be replaced by being deemed an equal adversary
What Ferrari still needs to improve to return to F1 title contention
After a disastrous 2020 in which it slumped to sixth in the F1 constructors' standings, Ferrari has rebounded strongly and is on course to finish third - despite regulations that forced it to carryover much of its forgettable SF1000 machine. Yet while it can be pleased with its improvement, there are still steps it must make if 2022 is to yield a return to winning ways
How F1 teams and personnel react in pressurised situations
OPINION: The pressure is firmly on Red Bull and Mercedes as Formula 1 2021 embarks on its final double-header. How the respective teams deal with that will be a crucial factor in deciding the outcome of the drivers' and constructors' championships, as Autosport's technical consultant and ex-McLaren F1 engineer explains
Why Ferrari is sure its long-term Leclerc investment will be vindicated
Humble yet blisteringly quick, Charles Leclerc is the driver Ferrari sees as its next world champion, and a rightful heir to the greats of Ferrari’s past – even though, by the team’s own admission, he’s not the finished article yet. Here's why it is confident that the 24-year-old can be the man to end a drought stretching back to 2008
The downside to F1's show and tell proposal
Technology lies at the heart of the F1 story and it fascinates fans, which is why the commercial rights holder plans to compel teams to show more of their ‘secrets’. STUART CODLING fears this will encourage techno-quackery…
How getting sacked gave Mercedes F1’s tech wizard lasting benefits
He’s had a hand in world championship-winning Formula 1 cars for Benetton, Renault and Mercedes, and was also a cog in the Schumacher-Ferrari axis. Having recently ‘moved upstairs’ as Mercedes chief technical officer, James Allison tells STUART CODLING about his career path and why being axed by Benetton was one of the best things that ever happened to him
The remarkable qualities that propelled Kubica’s F1 comeback
It’s easy to look at Robert Kubica’s second Formula 1 career and feel a sense of sadness that he didn’t reach the heights for which he seemed destined. But as BEN ANDERSON discovered, performance and results are almost meaningless in this context – something more fundamental and incredible happened…