The Ferrari team principal credits tyre management for Lewis Hamilton's Mexico City pole, with Charles Leclerc third.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur called Lewis Hamilton's pole in Mexico City qualifying a fantastic job. Hamilton's 1m 16.514s lap, 0.009s clear of George Russell, was Ferrari's first pole of 2026, with Charles Leclerc third.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has called Lewis Hamilton's pole lap in Mexico City qualifying "a fantastic job". It is Ferrari's first pole position of 2026 and Hamilton's first for the Scuderia in a Grand Prix.
Hamilton's final Q3 lap of 1m 16.514s was his 105th career pole and his first at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in a decade. He beat Mercedes driver George Russell by 0.009s, helped by a lock-up for Max Verstappen. Charles Leclerc qualified third, so Ferrari start first and third.
What Vasseur said
Speaking to F1 TV, Vasseur said it was a good result for Hamilton and the team, noting that Ferrari had struggled more in qualifying than in races since the start of the season and had been chasing a first pole. He said he was pleased to have cars first and third for the start, while acknowledging the long run to Turn 1.
He said the difference on Hamilton's lap was tyre management: keeping the tyres in shape for the last few corners, where a lot of lap time can be found, and not overheating them before Turn 12.
Leclerc and the race
Vasseur said Leclerc did a very good first run and pushed harder on the last one. He made one or two mistakes but came back with the fastest time in the final sector. Vasseur said P3, on the left-hand side of the grid, is not a bad result.
On the race, Vasseur said Ferrari's pace looks okay. The most important thing, he said, is to be in front at Turn 1 and in clean air, which he expects to be key to Sunday's result.
