Hamilton takes first Ferrari pole in Mexico, beating Russell by 0.009 seconds
Lewis Hamilton has taken his first pole position for Ferrari, beating George Russell by just 0.009 seconds in qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix on Saturday, 31 October.
The seven-time world champion set a time of 1 minute 16.514 seconds on his final run at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. It was the 105th pole of his Formula 1 career, and his first since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, ending a wait of more than three years.
Russell, Hamilton’s former team-mate at Mercedes, will start second. Charles Leclerc, Hamilton’s Ferrari team-mate, was third, 0.119 seconds off the pace. Max Verstappen qualified fourth but locked up on his final lap, and championship leader Kimi Antonelli was fifth. The top five were covered by less than two-tenths of a second.
Verstappen will actually start from fifth, not fourth. He and Liam Lawson each carry a one-place grid penalty after colliding in practice on Friday. Lawson qualified eighth and will drop to ninth, moving his Racing Bulls team-mate Arvid Lindblad up to eighth. Pierre Gasly completes the top ten.
The biggest surprise was Oscar Piastri. The McLaren driver, quick in final practice, was knocked out in the second part of qualifying and will start 13th. His team-mate Lando Norris managed only sixth, while Isack Hadjar was seventh.
Fernando Alonso went out in the first part of qualifying in 18th after a car problem, and stand-in Haas driver Ryo Hirakawa was 19th in his first Formula 1 qualifying session.
Why it matters
Hamilton joined Ferrari at the start of 2025 in one of the biggest moves in the sport’s history, but a first pole in red had eluded him until now. Taking it by the smallest of margins shows he and the team are finding form together in his second season with Ferrari.
It also shakes up the championship picture. With Antonelli leading the standings, Verstappen chasing from fifth on the grid and Norris only sixth, the title fight is wide open heading into the race. A win for Hamilton would be his first grand prix victory for Ferrari.
What happens next
The Mexico City Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, 1 November. Hamilton starts from pole, with Russell alongside him on the front row and Leclerc and Antonelli behind them on the second row.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/hamilton-clinches-first-pole-with-ferrari-in-qualifying-at-the-mexico-city-gp.4GffzFhlnOxOjbHHMc0AJI (Formula 1, 31 October 2026)
- https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1109055/1/lewis-hamilton-takes-first-f1-pole-three-years-mexico-gp (Crash.net, 31 October 2026)
- https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f1-2026-mexican-grand-prix-qualifying-results/ (The Race, 31 October 2026)
