Charles Leclerc leads Ferrari front-row lockout in qualifying for Mexico Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc swept to pole position for the Mexico City Formula One Grand Prix on Saturday with Carlos Sainz qualifying second in a surprise Ferrari front-row lockout.

The Italian team had seemed slow in final practice, with Leclerc 13th and Sainz 15th, but they pulled the time out of the hat when it mattered, with Leclerc lapping in one minute 17.166 seconds.

Sainz was 0.067 slower with triple world champion Max Verstappen, chasing a 51st career win and record 16th of the season, third on the grid for Red Bull and 0.097 off the pace.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo qualified a stunning fourth for AlphaTauri after returning from a broken hand.

Red Bull's Sergio Perez qualified fifth for his home race, with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton sixth after being fastest in the second phase.

"I did not expect to be on pole position today because we were lacking quite a bit after FP3," said Leclerc, who has now secured 22 poles in his F1 career but only had five wins.

"For some reason once we put everything together it went well, the new tyres we gained a lot."

Sainz, the only driver to beat the dominant Red Bulls this season with victory in Singapore, was also stunned to be on the front row.

"It was a very strange one ... I just struggle to understand where suddenly we can find half a second and then go half a second slower in the next lap," said the Spaniard.

Verstappen was fastest initially in the final phase before Sainz went faster and then Leclerc put himself on provisional pole.

The final flying laps did not change the order and the Monegasque could celebrate his second pole in a row, after Austin last weekend.

"I am confident for tomorrow. Of course, I would like to start first but we will have a good slipstream down to Turn