Hamilton takes first Ferrari grand prix pole in Mexico City

Lewis Hamilton has taken pole position for the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, securing his first grand prix pole with Ferrari and extending his Formula 1 record to 105 poles. Source 1Source 2Source 4 Hamilton’s lap of 1 minute 16.514 seconds placed him just 0.009 seconds ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc third, 0.119 seconds adrift. Source 1Source 2Source 4

What happened

Qualifying took place at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on 31 October, with Hamilton producing the quickest lap of the session. Source 1Source 2Source 3 His 1:16.514 established the benchmark for pole, while Russell came closest to dislodging him by finishing second by nine thousandths of a second. Source 1Source 2Source 3 Leclerc completed the top three for Ferrari, 0.119 seconds behind Hamilton’s time. Source 1Source 2Source 4

The result is Hamilton’s first grand prix pole for Ferrari. Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4 He had previously taken sprint poles with the team, but had not led the grid for a grand prix until the Mexico City session. Source 1Source 2 It was also his first grand prix pole since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, ending a wait measured at 1,197 days. Source 1Source 2Source 3

Hamilton’s immediate reaction over the team radio reflected the length of that wait: “Thank you so much, it has been such a long time coming.” Source 1 He later described the achievement as special in Mexico and said he liked the significance of the number 105. Source 2Source 4

Why it matters

The Mexico City result gives Ferrari its first grand prix pole from Hamilton and places both of its drivers in the top three of the qualifying classification. Source 1Source 2Source 4 Hamilton’s 105th pole extends his own Formula 1 record, adding another milestone to a result that had already ended his more than three-year gap between grand prix poles. Source 1Source 2Source 3

At 41, Hamilton also became the oldest driver to take pole position since Mario Andretti in 1982. Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4 The narrow margin to Russell underlines how finely balanced the session was at the front, with 0.009 seconds separating first and second. Source 1Source 2Source 3 Ferrari’s qualifying performance was reinforced by Leclerc’s third place, although his gap to Hamilton was 0.119 seconds. Source 1Source 2Source 4

The distinction between sprint pole and grand prix pole is central to the milestone. Source 1Source 2 Hamilton had achieved the former for Ferrari before Mexico City, but this session delivered the grand prix pole that had been missing from his time with the team. Source 1Source 2

What’s next

The immediate focus moves from qualifying to the Mexico City Grand Prix, for which Hamilton holds pole after setting the session’s fastest lap. Source 1Source 2Source 4 Russell will begin from second in the qualifying order, while Leclerc is third after Ferrari placed two cars in the top three. Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4 Hamilton’s pole time, 1:16.514, is the reference lap from a session decided by exceptionally small margins at the front. Source 1Source 2

Notes

This achievement is specifically Hamilton’s first grand prix pole for Ferrari, rather than his first pole of any format for the team. Source 1Source 2 The 1,197-day figure measures the period since his previous grand prix pole at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix. Source 1Source 2Source 3 The supplied reports concern the qualifying session and establish the top three as Hamilton, Russell and Leclerc. Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4