Even as Formula One’s young gun Kimi Antonelli remains on course to claim his first world championship on Sunday it was the veteran, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton who gave a salutary reminder that there is very much fight left in the old dog yet as he claimed a spectacular pole position for the Mexico City Grand Prix. Hamilton delivered a superb lap for Ferrari to secure his first pole for the team and just beat Mercedes’ George Russell into second. World champion in waiting Antonelli was in fourth place but remains in position to close out the title on Sunday, although Hamilton and Russell, who must win the race to have any hope of keeping the fight alive, have at least locked out the front row.
It was clearly a hugely emotional moment for Hamilton at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to finally nail the top spot for Ferrari in his second season with the team, with the 41-year-old’s 105th pole also his first since 2023. My first pole with Ferrari. 105 poles, I like that number. For sure, you might feel aches and pains, luckily I don’t, I do all those different things to keep myself young and fit.
But I love what I do, and love is not gone.” The title is all but in Antonelli’s hands but the day belonged assuredly to Hamilton who brought the crowd to their feet and earned a rapturous reception with an exemplary lap against very tough competition. His advantage over Russell was ultimately just nine-thousandths of a second. It is an extraordinary feat for Hamilton, coming after his debut win for Ferrari in Barcelona and having endured a very difficult opening season with the team, showing that he has lost none of his edge when he has the right machinery beneath him.
His sheer joy in the moment was unsurprising given it had been such a long wait for the British driver. The pole is Hamilton’s first since the Hungarian GP in 2023 and Ferrari’s first since Budapest last year. It is only his second in Mexico, having last taken the top spot a decade ago in 2016.
He will, of course, be looking for the win but that alone would not be enough to deny Antonelli the crown. The Italian is 123 points ahead of Russell and 124 in front of Hamilton. If he is 100 ahead after the Mexican GP he will take the title.
Russell or Hamilton have to win the race to stay in the fight but even should one of them do so, Antonelli will still be champion if he finishes in ninth place or higher. Anything less than a win for Russell or Hamilton and Antonelli would still be champion even if he failed to finish. Having secured fourth place on the grid, just staying out of trouble would surely be enough for the Italian.
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