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The starting grid for the 2023 F1 Mexican GP is now set as Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will start the race from the front row. The session was as much of a surprise as one could expect as it threw one twist after the other.
Once the session was over, there were quite a few drivers and teams that would be disappointed with how the session went and trying to do as much damage control as possible.
On the other hand, there would be a few happy with the session and looking forward to maximizing the potential in the 2023 F1 Mexican GP. Who are they? Let's take a look.
2023 F1 Mexican GP Qualifying
Winner
Daniel Ricciardo
There could not be a man with a bigger smile after qualifying than Daniel Ricciardo. The man did what has not been done in that AlphaTauri this season as he made that car look like a frontrunner.
Ricciardo has looked good all weekend. The car was fast in his hands but more importantly, it appeared that he found a sweet spot early that Yuki Tsunoda had been unable to keep up with.
Outqualified Sergio Perez in the 2023 F1 Mexican GP might not make Ricciardo the most popular man in the country but it certainly helps his case at the Austrian team.
Loser
Lando Norris
From being considered a potent threat to Max Verstappen at the 2023 F1 Mexican GP to being eliminated in Q1 is humbling for Lando Norris.
There is an argument to be made about how Norris should not be finding himself in these situations and he should have had a lap in place already but that's not the point.
The McLaren driver now has a giant hull to climb as he tries to salvage something in a race notorious for not having too many stoppages.
Winner
Ferrari
Where did that lap time come from? Arguably even the Ferrari drivers were surprised at securing the front row but this does put the team in a strong position.
The car does not have the race pace of the Red Bull and Max Verstappen should be able to get ahead of the two without much trouble but this does put the team in a position where a podium could be possible.
Loser
Sergio Perez
Sergio Perez would not have liked being outqualified by Daniel Ricciardo at the 2023 F1 Mexican GP. In all fairness, it's no surprise that the driver is trying to secure his future with the team.
Results like these don't help in any which way. Perez will be under pressure once again as the biggest contender for his seat at Red Bull is starting the race right in front of him.
Winner
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo has shown signs of life recently and the 2023 F1 Mexican GP qualifying was no different. Valtteri Bottas has looked impressive all weekend and getting the car into Q3 is an impressive outing.
Zhou Guanyu was also able to sneak through and get a top 10 qualifying that completed an overall impressive weekend for the team.
Loser
Aston Martin
It's hard to sit back and make sense of what's going on with Aston Martin. The car has just gone off the rails despite the introduction of upgrades and modifications to the car.
The team seems to have no idea about what it needs to do to get the competitiveness back for the team but for now, it does appear that the Silverstone-based squad is staring down the barrel of a poor end for the 2023 F1 season with the prospects for 2024 not looking too bright.
