Max Verstappen says he can be pleased with his third position on the grid for the Mexican Grand Prix, not least because he feels his super-soft tyre strategy could shake things up at the front come race day.

Despite setting a time slower than he managed in Q2, Verstappen would fall just three tenths shy of pole sitter Lewis Hamilton, with only a last gasp effort from Nico Rosberg able to dislodge him from a provisional front row start.

Significantly though, Verstappen and fellow row two starter Daniel Ricciardo, will get underway on the super-soft rubber, unlike Hamilton and Rosberg on the soft tyres.

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Indeed, though both Mercedes drivers dismissed the super-soft threat for its rapid degradation, Verstappen reckons more grip at the start coupled to the long run to the first corner could see Red Bull become a thorn for the Mercedes'.

“Of course there is more degradation than the soft so it is up to me to make it last as long as we can, but at the start with such a long run to the first corner, if we get a good start then we have opportunities from there onwards

“I think it was getting better and better, so it is a shame in Q3 we couldn't quite get the lap together otherwise I think P2 was definitely possible. We are not too far behind and we have a different strategy as well, so it will be interesting.”