Sainz pleased to see McLaren acting like a "big team"

Carlos Sainz was very pleased with the outcome of his qualifying result, coming through in P8, just ahead of teammate Lando Norris. The Spaniard is sixth in the drivers' standings and while he is some way off the top five there are positive signs for McLaren moving forward.

Sainz will be looking to back up his fifth-place finish in Japan with another strong showing in Mexico as the season heads towards its conclusion.

"It's the first time in the whole season that we started to think more like a big team," Sainz told Movistar + F1.

"We tried to get through Q2 on the medium tyre and we were very close despite a lockup in the last sector and traffic.

"The fact that I gave it a go is a sign that we are on the right path and it just shows the confidence that we have in the car."