Hamilton takes first Ferrari pole in Mexico City

Lewis Hamilton took his first pole position for Ferrari and his first in more than three years in qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix, beating Mercedes’ George Russell by 0.009 seconds.

The front row is made up of the two drivers who can still prevent Kimi Antonelli from clinching the world championship on Sunday. Antonelli qualified fifth, behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, but will start fourth after Verstappen received a one-place penalty.

Hamilton’s pole was his 105th in Formula 1 and his first since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix. He said Ferrari had done a “really good job” with the car’s setup after an engine problem on Friday had put the team on the back foot and left him without a long run.

Hamilton was fourth after the first runs in the final qualifying session, more than four-tenths of a second off Leclerc’s pace. He improved on his last attempt, while Verstappen, who had been quickest through two sectors, locked up at the hairpin and lost his chance to take pole.

Antonelli can secure the title if neither Hamilton nor Russell wins. The BBC reports that the championship can be kept alive only if Russell wins and Antonelli finishes lower than ninth, or Hamilton wins and Antonelli scores no points.

Russell said he was pleased to end a difficult run of form, but could not explain the improvement. He also said he had chosen not to complete a preparation lap before his final attempt, despite the team’s preference for one. The extra fuel carried for that lap, he said, weighed more than the margin to pole.

Leclerc qualified third and Verstappen fourth, with the penalty moving Antonelli ahead of the Red Bull on the starting grid. McLaren’s Lando Norris, who had looked in contention after the first runs, qualified sixth.

Fernando Alonso was on course for his best qualifying result of the year when an energy-recovery-system water leak forced him to stop on track during his second attempt. He was third at the time.