Lewis Hamilton takes first Ferrari pole at Mexico City Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton has claimed his first pole position for Ferrari and his first in more than three years at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Qualifying Drama

The seven-time champion beat Mercedes driver George Russell by just 0.009 seconds as the two drivers who can stop Kimi Antonelli from clinching the world title on Sunday locked out the front row. Antonelli qualified fifth behind Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, but will start fourth because of a one-place penalty given to Verstappen. Hamilton's pole is his first since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, three years and three months ago, and marks the 105th of his career. He is also the oldest driver to secure a pole position since Mario Andretti drove for Ferrari at the 1982 Italian Grand Prix.

Driver Reactions

Both Hamilton and Russell went out early for their initial runs and watched as their rivals failed to beat them. Leclerc fell short of Hamilton by 0.119 seconds, while Verstappen looked set to take pole after being fastest in the first two sectors before locking up into the hairpin in the stadium section and ruining his lap. Hamilton admitted he was lost for words after a challenging weekend that included an engine issue the previous day. Russell noted he has been struggling to get on top of his car during a tricky few races. Leclerc explained he struggled to put his tyres in the right window during the outlaps.

Context

Formula 1 qualifying sessions determine the starting grid order for the main Grand Prix race through a knockout format. The Mexico City Grand Prix takes place at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, where high altitude creates low downforce challenges for the cars.