Lewis Hamilton has secured his first pole position for Ferrari and his first in over three years, edging out Mercedes' George Russell by just 0.009 seconds at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The result sets up a dramatic championship scenario on Sunday, with both drivers positioned to potentially prevent Kimi Antonelli from clinching the world title.
According to BBC Sport, Antonelli qualified fifth behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, though he will start fourth due to a one-place penalty applied to Verstappen. The Italian Mercedes driver can only be denied the championship if Russell wins with Antonelli finishing outside the top nine, or if Hamilton wins and Antonelli fails to score points.
Hamilton's pole represents his first since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix—a gap of three years and three months—and marks the 105th pole of his career. At this achievement, he becomes the oldest driver to secure pole position since Mario Andretti claimed one for Ferrari at the 1982 Italian Grand Prix.
During qualifying, both Hamilton and Russell completed their opening runs early, forcing their rivals to attempt overtaking them. Leclerc came closest, finishing 0.119 seconds behind Hamilton, while Antonelli never mounted a serious challenge. Verstappen appeared poised to take pole after two sectors but locked up at the hairpin in the stadium section, destroying his final lap attempt.
Hamilton expressed his emotion after the session:
"Oh man, I'm lost for words. It's been a really challenging weekend - we had the engine issue yesterday, which meant we were on the back foot and didn't do a long run. We've done a really good job on the setup and to have pole here, wow, it feels special. It's my first pole for Ferrari, and 105th, I like that number."
McLaren's Lando Norris had appeared competitive during the opening runs of the final qualifying session, sitting third fastest behind Leclerc and Verstappen. However, he failed to improve on his final lap and finished sixth. McLaren's Norris won the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix, finishing more than 30 seconds clear of the field, with teammate Oscar Piastri fifth after starting seventh.
Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, and Alpine's Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 10.
What does this mean for the championship?
Antonelli arrives at Mexico City with a commanding points advantage and the opportunity to secure his first world title this weekend. The Mercedes driver has dominated qualifying throughout the season, claiming pole at the British Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix, and the Miami Grand Prix earlier in the campaign. However, his fifth-place qualifying position here represents a significant departure from his recent form, opening the door for his rivals to influence the outcome.
Hamilton's pole position gives him a genuine chance to prevent Antonelli's coronation, though he must convert it into victory while keeping the Italian outside the points. Russell's front-row start offers Mercedes a two-pronged attack on the championship leader, with the team's strategy potentially crucial to determining whether Antonelli clinches the title on Sunday.
When is the race?
The Mexico City Grand Prix is scheduled for Sunday, November 1, 2026, with the race start time set for 14:00 local time (GMT−6). Following this round, the championship moves to the São Paulo Grand Prix, scheduled for November 6–8, 2026.
