Mexican Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel takes pole with Lewis Hamilton third
Lewis Hamilton was made to settle for third on the grid in Mexico as Sebastian Vettel kept his slim world championship hopes alive by storming to pole position.
Max Verstappen appeared on course to become Formula One's youngest ever pole sitter only for Vettel to beat the Red Bull driver with the final lap of a dramatic qualifying session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Vettel, who trails Hamilton by 66 points with just three grands prix remaining, must finish either first or second in Sunday's race to stand any chance of taking the championship battle on to the penultimate round in Brazil.
But despite Hamilton's relatively lowly grid slot the Englishman needs to cross the line only fifth to seal his fourth crown on Sunday and he is 3/1 with Sky Bet to win the race on Sunday, with Vettel favourite at 5/6 and Verstappen 9/4.
Hamilton has been in blistering form since the summer break after winning five of the six grands prix staged, including a dominant victory in Austin, Texas last weekend.
But the British driver has his work cut out to secure his fourth world championship in style after a rousing performance from Vettel.
The German delivered a dizzying time at a track which is more than 2,300 metres above sea level, to edge out Verstappen by just eight hundredths of a second and claim the 50th pole of his career.
PRICE BOOST: Hamilton NOT to win the title in Mexico is 6/1 from 4/1 with Sky Bet!
Hamilton was nearly half a second further back in third with his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas fourth on the grid.
"I tried to deny Sebastian but it was not to be," Hamilton said. "It was a difficult session and it has been a difficult weekend.
"Out of all the good qualifying sessions I have had this year it was not at the top of those.
"Overtaking here is very difficult but there is a long way down to turn one so we should have some fun. The race is going to be very tough, but I hope I remain close if I am not where I want to be after turn one.
"Winning the title is obviously the goal and to do it on Mexican soil would be pretty neat."
Hamilton however, could be bumped up to second with Verstappen under investigation from the stewards for allegedly blocking Bottas earlier in qualifying.
Verstappen was controversially stripped of his podium finish last Sunday in Austin after he was penalised for an illegal last-lap overtake on Kimi Raikkonen.
Raikkonen finished fifth in the order ahead of Force India's Esteban Ocon, with Daniel Ricciardo a disappointing seventh.
"Congrats to Sebastian on reaching 50 poles," Hamilton said. "I tried to deny him but it wasn't to be. It was a difficult session and it has been a difficult weekend.
"They did a great job and their car was working better than ours this weekend, but I am still there in the fight.
"The race pace is good so I am not worried about that, but you can't overtake here. There is a long way down to turn one so we should have some fun tomorrow."
Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz finished eighth and ninth for Renault while Mexican Sergio Perez will start from 10th in front of his partisan home support.
McLaren's Fernando Alonso cruised through to the second phase of qualifying, but did not bother to post a time in Q2 after another round of engine penalties means he will be thrown to the back of the grid.
Final positions after qualifying:
1 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1min 16.488secs
2 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:16.574
3 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:16.934
4 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:16.958
5 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:17.238
6 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Force India 1:17.437
7 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 1:17.447
8 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Renault 1:17.466
9 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Renault 1:17.794
10 Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 1:17.807
11 Felipe Massa (Bra) Williams 1:18.099
12 Lance Stroll (Can) Williams 1:19.159
13 Brendon Hartley (Nzl) Scuderia Toro Rosso No Time
14 Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren No Time
15 Stoffel Vandoorne (Bel) McLaren No Time
16 Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari 1:19.176
17 Pascal Wehrlein (Ger) Sauber-Ferrari 1:19.333
18 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:19.443
19 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:19.473
20 Pierre Gasly (Fra) Scuderia Toro Rosso No Time