Lewis Hamilton secured his first pole position for Ferrari at the Mexican Grand Prix on Saturday, delivering a late lap at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez that edged Mercedes driver George Russell by just nine-thousandths of a second. The seven-time world champion’s performance marked his 105th career pole and his first since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, further underscoring his enduring competitiveness in his second season with Ferrari.
Hamilton’s pole is Ferrari’s first since last year’s Hungarian Grand Prix, and only his second at the Mexico City circuit, with his previous top qualifying position there dating back to 2016. The 41-year-old driver expressed heartfelt satisfaction after his lap, reflecting on the perseverance required to reclaim pole position and emphasizing his commitment to maintaining fitness and focus.
Russell qualified second for Mercedes, joining Hamilton on the front row, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc secured third place. Max Verstappen, who initially qualified fourth, received a one-place grid penalty for an incident during Friday’s practice session, moving him to fifth. Kimi Antonelli, the young Italian driver poised to clinch his first world championship, managed fourth on the grid. Despite being behind Hamilton and Russell, Antonelli holds a commanding lead in the championship standings, with a 123-point advantage over Russell and 124 over Hamilton.
Antonelli’s position makes him the overwhelming favorite for the title. To secure the championship at Sunday’s race, he needs to finish ninth or higher, provided his nearest challengers win. Should Hamilton or Russell fail to claim victory, Antonelli will be crowned champion regardless of his finishing position. A championship win would make the 20-year-old Antonelli the youngest Formula One world champion in history and the first Italian to win the title since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
Qualifying was closely contested, with Leclerc posting a strong early time in the third session. Antonelli initially struggled on his opening run before improving but could not surpass the leading times set by Hamilton, Russell, and Leclerc. Verstappen showed promising pace but lost time due to a late-sector lockup on his final lap. McLaren’s Lando Norris qualified sixth, while teammate Oscar Piastri was eliminated unexpectedly in Q2, settling for 13th after citing rear grip difficulties.
Off the track, Esteban Ocon will not participate in the Mexican Grand Prix weekend after Haas announced his replacement with Ryo Hirakawa, marking the Japanese driver’s Formula One race debut. Haas did not provide specific reasons for Ocon’s removal, which followed a tense exchange between the French driver and his race engineer during Friday’s practice session. Ocon issued a statement denying any physical altercation with the team and condemned violence, emphasizing that the disagreement was verbal and expressing a desire for professionalism and respect in resolving the matter. He acknowledged the difference of opinion but urged discretion as the situation remains under review.
The Mexican Grand Prix will be held on Sunday, with anticipation high over whether Hamilton or Russell can delay Antonelli’s coronation, or if the young driver will clinch the title amid a fierce and closely watched battle.