Sports
Hamilton Secures First Ferrari Pole at Mexico City Grand Prix
By F1
Lewis Hamilton ended a three‑year pole‑position drought at the Mexico City Grand Prix by taking his 105th career pole. In a close battle, he beat Mercedes’ George Russell by 0.009 seconds, recording a lap time of 1:16.514. Russell was followed by Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen—who locked up on his last lap—and championship leader Kimi Antonelli, with the top five separated by less than two‑tenths of a second.
McLaren’s Lando Norris finished sixth after a strong FP3 pace faded in qualifying. Isack Hadjar, who struggled with an error in Q3, ended up in seventh. Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson qualified eighth but will lose a spot after an incident with Verstappen in FP2, allowing teammate Arvid Lindblad to move from ninth to eighth. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly completed the top ten.
Oscar Piastri’s Q2 elimination shocked many; his final lap was not enough to secure a higher position, and he qualified thirteenth behind Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg (11th) and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto (12th). Gabriel Bortoleto took 14th, while Ollie Bearman and Carlos Sainz finished 15th and 17th respectively. Fernando Alonso was eliminated in Q1 after Aston Martin ordered him to stop due to a suspected water‑pressure issue with the ERS system.
Haas driver Ryo Hirakawa, who replaced Esteban Ocon for the weekend, qualified 19th in his first F1 qualifying session. Lance Stroll, Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas completed the order.
During Q1, Pérez led the session, followed by Stroll, who suffered a lock‑up, and Alonso, who was forced to stop on the run‑off area. Hamilton topped the times with 1:18.249, ahead of Piastri and Alonso. In Q2, Verstappen set the fastest lap at 1:16.876, with Leclerc close behind. Piastri was eliminated in Q13 after failing to improve his time.
In Q3, Hamilton’s 1:16.514 secured pole, with Russell second and Leclerc third. Verstappen finished fourth after locking up on his final lap. Hamilton expressed pride in the team’s work and the special feeling of achieving his first pole with Ferrari.
The 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix will start at 14:00 local time on Sunday.
Frequently asked questions
How many career poles does Lewis Hamilton have after the Mexico City Grand Prix?
Lewis Hamilton secured his 105th career pole.
What was the time difference between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in qualifying?
Hamilton beat Russell by 0.009 seconds.
Which driver finished fourth in qualifying and why?
Max Verstappen finished fourth after locking up on his final lap.