Max Verstappen faced a mixed outcome following Saturday’s qualifying session at the 2026 F1 Mexico City GP.
Although he showed strong pace throughout the session, a lock-up in Q3 left him in P4. Due to a one-place grid penalty issued following a FP2 collision with Liam Lawson, Verstappen will start fifth on the grid.
Speaking in the print media pen after qualifying, Verstappen addressed his Q3 lock-up, driver penalties, high temperatures and expectations for Sunday’s race.
Traffic in Q3 triggers lock-up
Reflecting on his final lap in Q3 of Qualifying, Verstappen explained how traffic on track directly triggered his lock-up. He detailed arriving at Turn 12 behind Lando Norris, resulting in him suffering from dirty air.
As he approached Turn 13, the position of the McLaren blocked his usual braking reference points. As he had to drive an alternate entry line while pushing, the different entry angle caused his tyres to lock-up, impairing a lap that was on pace to challenge for pole position. He was 0.065s up on Hamilton after Sector 2, with the Ferrari absolutely flying in the final one all weekend.
“Yeah, well, I mean, I arrive to 12 and I see a car still in front of me, so that’s already where you then lose time, with the dirty air, and then I see also then the car parking it on the right, which in that corner you don’t want, because I arrive to 13, already doing a bit of a different line, you lose your reference, because, you know, you always have your references where you brake, and there is a car, so you cannot see it. So yeah, when you are of course on the limit in qualifying, and you lose all these kind of things, and the angle of the car is a bit different, that makes you lock-up.”
When asked whether the weekend felt overly messy, Verstappen brushed off the suggestion, noting that the team made substantial improvements to the car in qualifying when it mattered most. He viewed the qualifying incident as unfortunate, but the reality of racing.
“Not really, I mean, we were not really happy with the car, we made it a lot better in qualifying, I think that’s when it matters, and if you call it messy in qualifying, well, I mean, that’s what it is. That’s life as well, it’s not really messy, it just happens.”
Furthermore, Verstappen dismissed reports from other drivers regarding dropping grip levels due to track temperatures. He clarified that grip only improved for him as qualifying progressed compared to poor conditions in practice.
“No, for me the grip only got better, I mean, my grip was awful in practise, so it only got better for me in qualifying, so there was not much to complain about. We were in the fight for pole, my final lap was up there for pole, for sure, but unfortunately we couldn’t finish the lap.”
Verstappen on managing high temperatures at the 2026 F1 Mexico City GP
Addressing the challenges of managing engine and power unit temperature at the 2026 F1 Mexico City GP, the Racing Bulls driver acknowledged that temperature management will prove critical if cars run in heavy traffic.
He noted that while operating the PU in hot conditions remains somewhat untested, most teams remain in the same position regarding cooling demands.
“Everything is going to be hot, we know that. It’s probably more about how the engine will respond to when it’s running a bit hot sometimes. Maybe we haven’t really operated there of course a lot, but I guess I’m probably in the same boat.”
Regarding his one-place grid penalty, Verstappen remained relaxed toward the decision of the stewards. He stated that whether one agrees or disagrees with a penalty comes down to personal opinion. With all necessary discussions already handled both publicly and internally, he expressed zero frustration over the outcome.
“It’s life, that happens. I mean, you can agree with it or not, that’s the same in a lot of other sports.
“You can agree with a decision or not, that’s your own opinion, that’s my personal opinion. But on the other hand, everything has been said on the outside and at the same time also internally.”
Race strategy and track positioning
Looking ahead to the race at the 2026 F1 Mexico City GP, Verstappen admitted that predicting overtaking opportunities remains difficult due to the high temperatures.
Consequently, he emphasised that executing a clean start from fifth will be essential to establish track position early and avoid getting trapped behind traffic.
Because of the altitude, having cool and clean air is absolutely critical. If a driver is in a battle, normally they have to drop back for at least a few laps to look after the PU.
“Not really, it happens.
“We don’t know, I mean it’s impossible to know. It’s always very tough to follow here with the temperatures, but first I think we have to also see how the pace is going to be in the car.
“Yeah, if that’s the case, then so be it.
“I mean, the problem is that in Sochi you don’t have this massive, for example, you don’t have this massive overheating problem when you drop behind. Here, I would always prefer to start on pole. If you have a good start, normally it’s okay, you can race.”
“They might be next to you, but it’s not like they can hear you. It’s just a matter of doing your job. It all depends on your start.”
Finally, the Dutchman confirmed that earlier technical issues regarding his radio appear solved and it has been working over the weekend.
“It’s been good.”
“Well, I’m not going to jinx it now, I hope that it’s been good this weekend. At least for me.”
