Lewis Hamilton called a hard weekend in Mexico City turned around after he beat George Russell to pole by 0.009s.
Lewis Hamilton took his first pole for Ferrari at the Mexico City Grand Prix with a 1m 16.514s lap, 0.009s ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell. It is his 105th career pole and makes him the oldest polesitter since Mario Andretti at the 1982 Italian Grand Prix.
Three years after his last pole, Lewis Hamilton is on top of the grid again, and this time in a Ferrari, for Sunday's race in Mexico City. His 1m 16.514s lap was 0.009s quicker than Mercedes driver George Russell, and it was the 105th pole of his Formula 1 career.
It also makes him the oldest polesitter since Mario Andretti at the 1982 Italian Grand Prix. Told of the record, Hamilton said keeping fit and young is largely in the mind, and that he still wakes up every day thinking about racing. His previous pole came at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, and he now has more than one pole at 22 circuits.
A hard weekend turned around
Hamilton said he was lost for words after the session. His weekend began with a rake set-up in first practice and an engine problem on Friday that cost him a long run. He said the team worked on the set-up through the weekend, and that the gaps between the leading cars were tiny. He also lost his opening lap in the second segment, when rivals started on new tyres. He had led the first segment, and needed to improve after his first run in the final segment.
Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari and told FIA interviewers he did not do the job when it mattered, though third was not bad. Max Verstappen was fourth and Kimi Antonelli fifth. Verstappen and Liam Lawson both take grid drops after their clash in second practice.
Behind the front row
Lando Norris qualified sixth, ahead of Isack Hadjar, with Alpine's Pierre Gasly in the top ten. Oscar Piastri was eliminated in the second segment, in a surprise exit. Fernando Alonso was out in the first segment after Aston Martin told him to stop over a suspected water pressure issue linked to the ERS. Ryo Hirakawa, in for Esteban Ocon at Haas, was 19th in his first qualifying hour.
What we know so far
- Pole: Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 1m 16.514s
- Second: George Russell (Mercedes), 0.009s behind
- Third to fifth: Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Kimi Antonelli
- The Mexico City Grand Prix starts at 1400 local time on Sunday
