Valtteri Bottas, Lewis Hamilton on front row in Mexico City

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas has earned a surprise pole position for Sunday's Mexican Grand Prix.

Bottas has been among a number of drivers playing second fiddle to the title race which has evolved between Max Verstappen and teammate Lewis Hamilton this season.

However, it was the Finnish driver who came out on top in qualifying on Saturday, edging out Hamilton by less than a fifth of a second.

Championship leader Verstappen, in the Red Bull, had high hopes of ousting the Mercedes pair, but he ended Q3 nearly half a second adrift of Bottas.

Despite emerging as the fastest driver in final practice, fellow Red Bull driver Sergio Perez had to make do with fourth on the grid.

The Ferrari duo of Carlos Sainz Junior and Charles Leclerc were sixth and eighth respectively, while Lando Norris and George Russell were further back in 10th and 13th place.

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