Lewis Hamilton has taken his first pole position for Ferrari at the Mexico City Grand Prix with Mercedes’s Kimi Antonelli fourth on the grid for a ground-breaking race likely to make the 20-year-old Formula One’s youngest champion. Antonelli needs only a ninth-place finish at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Sunday to become Italy’s first champion since 1953. He was fifth fastest in qualifying, admitting he felt tense, but will move up a place due to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, in fourth, taking a grid drop.
The pole, in a time of one minute 16.514 seconds, was a record-extending 105th of Hamilton’s stellar career. While he has had two sprint poles since he joined Ferrari last year, he has not had one at a regular grand prix since Hungary in July 2023 when he was at Mercedes – a wait of 1,197 days. It has been such a long time coming,” Hamilton said over the team radio on Saturday.
I am so grateful for the hard work you guys put in.” The pole also made the seven-time world champion at the age of 41 the oldest pole-sitter since American Mario Andretti, at 42, at Monza in Italy in 1982. Germany’s Michael Schumacher, who retired from Mercedes in 2012 and won five titles with Ferrari from 2000 to 2004, had his first pole for Ferrari at the 1996 San Marino Grand Prix. So it’s very, very special,” Hamilton said.
Mercedes’s George Russell, Antonelli’s closest rival but 123 points behind his teammate with only 100 to be won after this weekend, was second fastest – just 0.009 adrift after taking provisional pole only for Hamilton to beat his time. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was third and 0.119 off the pace. Both Hamilton and Russell would have to win if either of the remaining contenders is to keep Antonelli waiting another week for the inevitable.
I just didn’t have the most confidence. I was a bit tense, I am not going to lie,” the Italian said. There is talk of what is there, and I am not as relaxed.” McLaren’s Lando Norris, the reigning champion and last year’s winner in Mexico, qualified sixth with Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar seventh.
Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson qualified eighth fastest but had a one-place grid drop for a clash with Verstappen in Friday’s practice. The New Zealander was then disqualified from the session for a technical breach and sent to the back of the grid. Teammate Arvid Lindblad will start eighth, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly ninth and Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg 10th.
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