Managing P7 only on the grid while McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris claimed an impressive pole, 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve said it was “really strange” to hear that Piastri had a “reasonable” feeling in the car, despite a final deficit of almost six-tenths to Norris.

At Mexico City's Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Norris fended off a challenge from Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to secure his first pole since the Belgian Grand Prix, toppling initial Q3 leader Leclerc with a 1m15.586s lap.

Formula One leader Oscar Piastri said his vanishing speed was "a bit of a mystery" after struggling to seventh on the grid in Mexico City Grand Prix qualifying while teammate Lando Norris took pole position.

Drivers’ Championship leader Piastri is in need of a boost as he looks to re-establish control in the title fight, but he has work to do in Mexico from seventh on the grid. Max Verstappen will start from fifth, while closest rival Norris claimed a potentially crucial pole position.

Oscar Piastri’s six-month grip on the Formula One world drivers’ championship is in danger of being instantly wiped away after he only qualified eighth for the Mexican Grand Prix.

Oscar Piastri admits he’s at a loss to explain the gap to teammate Lando Norris in qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix.Norris took pole position with a stunning final lap in Q3, beating the two Ferrari drivers who offered the closest threat in qualifying.

Brit Oliver Bearman continued his fine form with a third Q3 appearance in as many Grands Prix in his Haas, and starts ninth as a result. Yuki Tsunoda also benefits from Sainz's grid penalty to rise to 10th having narrowly missed out on a place in the final part of qualifying.

Oscar Piastri hopes his past experiences can help him in the F1 championship as he prepares for the Mexican Grand Prix.

McLaren Formula 1 team principal Andrea Stella is confident Oscar Piastri can brush off a difficult United States Grand Prix weekend in Mexico