Hamilton secures first pole for Ferrari at Mexico City Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton secured his first pole position for Ferrari during qualifying at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix, stopping a drought that stretched back to July 2023. The seven-time world champion posted a lap time of one minute 16.514 seconds, marking the 105th pole of his career and making him the oldest pole-sitter since Mario Andretti in 1982. The result gave the Italian squad plenty to celebrate, with Hamilton reflecting on the legacy of Michael Schumacher during his own successful years with the team.

Mercedes driver George Russell finished qualifying as the second fastest competitor, missing out on the top spot by a tiny margin of 0.009 seconds. Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc secured third place on the grid, sitting 0.119 seconds off the pace. Meanwhile, reigning champion Lando Norris qualified in sixth position for McLaren, and Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar finished seventh.

Kimi Antonelli qualified in fifth position but will move up to the fourth spot on the starting grid due to a grid penalty for Max Verstappen. The 20-year-old Italian driver admitted to feeling nervous and struggling with tire grip during the final session, which led to a few mistakes on his flying lap. Antonelli needs only a ninth-place finish during the main event to secure the championship title and become Italy's first titleholder since 1953. His closest rival, George Russell, remains mathematically in contention but trails significantly behind.

Lewis Hamilton achieved his first pole position for Ferrari at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Several other drivers faced challenging sessions on the track. Racing Bulls participant Liam Lawson qualified eighth fastest, but accumulated penalties from a practice clash and a subsequent technical disqualification pushed him to the back of the grid. Fernando Alonso triggered a red flag in the opening session when instructed to stop due to a suspected power unit water pressure issue, and later received a note for failing to reattach his steering wheel. Meanwhile, Ryo Hirakawa made his Formula One debut for Haas at the age of 32, and home favorite Sergio Perez prepared for his 300th grand prix appearance alongside Cadillac teammate Valtresti Bottas at the rear of the field.

Why it matters This qualifying session shapes the grid for a potentially historic race where Kimi Antonelli stands on the verge of clinching the Formula One drivers' championship. The outcome affects the title race standings and alters the competitive hierarchy between Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull as the season nears its conclusion.