Hamilton takes first Ferrari grand prix pole by 0.009 seconds in Mexico

Lewis Hamilton claimed his first grand prix pole position for Ferrari at the Mexico City Grand Prix, beating George Russell by 0.009 seconds in qualifying. BBC Sport reported that the result was the seven-time world champion's 105th career pole and his first since the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2023, ending a wait of more than three years.

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Hamilton secured the result on his 43rd start for Ferrari. He had previously taken sprint pole for the team at the Chinese Grand Prix in 2025, during only his second race weekend with the Italian outfit, but had not topped qualifying for a full grand prix. The Mexico result also meant he had earned pole positions with three different teams during his Formula 1 career.

Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc joined championship leader Kimi Antonelli on the second row. Antonelli was fifth fastest in qualifying, finishing 0.184 seconds behind his Mercedes team-mate Russell, but moved to fourth on the grid because of a one-place penalty for Red Bull's Max Verstappen. The 20-year-old Italian acknowledged that the significance of the weekend had made him more tense than usual and affected his confidence behind the wheel.

The qualifying result placed the only two drivers still mathematically able to delay Antonelli's title on the front row. According to the BBC's account of the championship permutations, either Russell or Hamilton must win to keep the contest open beyond Mexico. Even in those circumstances, Antonelli can secure his first championship by finishing ninth if Russell wins or 10th if Hamilton wins. The title had not yet been decided following qualifying.

Hamilton said his focus was on achieving the best result for Ferrari and protecting the team's second place in the constructors' standings. He described the pole as particularly meaningful because such results were no longer arriving regularly. He also credited the working relationship developing with his new engineers while acknowledging Leclerc's speed over one lap and greater familiarity with the team.

Hamilton held an eight-point advantage over Leclerc in the drivers' championship, BBC Sport reported. His qualifying breakthrough nevertheless followed disrupted preparations: a breakdown in second practice had prevented him from completing a race-simulation run. Hamilton said finding the right balance would therefore be challenging, while expressing hope about the race ahead. Russell, meanwhile, said his own priority was to finish the season strongly.