Verstappen takes surprise F1 Mexican GP pole after Bottas crashes

Red Bull driver Verstappen set the fastest time on the first runs in Q3, 0.114s faster than Leclerc.

UPDATE - Leclerc will now start the 2019 Mexican GP from pole after Verstappen was penalised post-qualifying for failing to slow for yellow flags at Bottas's crash

He then improved to a 1m14.758s on his final attempt to consolidate pole position - although his first lap would have been good enough to secure the top spot - but he completed his lap after Bottas had a big crash at the final corner and brought out double waved yellow flags.

Leclerc held onto second place despite not improving, with his Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel also relying on his first-run time to take third on the grid after having to back off for the yellows.

Lewis Hamilton made a slender improvement on his second run to make sure of fourth place, 0.504s off the pace.

Alex Albon, in the second Red Bull, was fifth fastest and 0.580s slower than his team-mate.

This put him just 0.002s quicker than Bottas, who was on course to improve on his time when he hit the outside wall in the final left hander on his last attempt.

The rear stepped out on Bottas and sent him heavily into the wall, which he slid along before coming to rest against the leading edge of the Tecpro barrier that sits closer to the exit of the corner.

Although the medical car was deployed due to the size of impact, Bottas reported he was OK.

McLaren dominated the battle for 'best of the rest', with Carlos Sainz Jr outpacing Lando Norris by three-tenths to take seventh.

Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly claimed ninth and 10th for Toro Rosso, separated by just over 0.1s.

The Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes drivers will all start the race using medium-compound Pirellis after using that tyre to set their Q2 times, with the rest of the top 10 set to start on softs.

Kvyat will be investigated for an unsafe release after the session, as Toro Rosso appeared to send him out of the garage when Daniel Ricciardo's Renault was driving past in Q1.

Racing Point's Sergio Perez ensured he was the best-placed driver with free tyre choice for the race by grabbing 11th place at the end of Q2, missing out on Q3 by just 0.008s.

That put him two-tenths ahead of the lead Renault of Nico Hulkenberg, with Ricciardo ending up just behind in 13th place.

Kimi Raikkonen won the battle of the Alfa Romeo drivers to take 14th place, outpacing Antonio Giovinazzi by three-tenths.

Lance Stroll was the quickest of those eliminated in Q1, finishing down in 16th place after only making a slender improvement on the time he set on his first run - complaining of "no grip" over the radio.

A slow run through the middle sector cost him and left him 0.271s away from Giovinazzi, the slowest of those to escape Q1.

The Haas drivers both squeezed in three runs during the session, with Kevin Magnussen ending up as the faster of the duo in 17th place, 0.163s quicker than Romain Grosjean.

Grosjean's first attempt was ruined by the rear of his car stepping out at the entry to Turn 1, as although he caught the moment it flicked the car into a spin in the other direction as he took to the grass.

George Russell was just 0.224s off Grosjean's pace as he took 19th place, again winning the intra-Williams battle with team-mate Robert Kubica 1.356s slower.

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