Lewis Hamilton achieved his 105th career pole position in Formula 1 with his first in Scuderia red at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
This is Hamilton’s first Ferrari pole by defeating George Russell. The Mercedes driver had taken provisional pole away from Charles Leclerc with his final run at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, but Hamilton responded with a marginally faster first sector to take pole by a tiny margin of 0.009 seconds.
Max Verstappen was fourth, just under two tenths behind, but will line up in fifth following an one-place grid penalty after an on-track altercation with Liam Lawson during Friday practice.
After a muted session championship leader Kimi Antonelli was fifth, with the top five was covered by just two tenths. In the shape of world champion Lando Norris, McLaren also looked like a threat for pole, but Norris was not able to record his first flyer and then dropped out of his second.
An annoyed Isack Hadjar was seventh for Red Bull after going off at the low-speed Turn 13, Red Bull’s problem this weekend. Lawson was eighth but will move down to ninth for his share in the practice incident with Verstappen. That promoted his Racing Bulls teammate Arvid Lindblad to eighth, while Lawson will line up on the fifth row alongside Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.
In Q2 Hamilton and Piastri were put under some pressure when they backed out of their first flyers, needing a clean second effort to advance to Q3.
While Hamilton booked a place in the top ten shootout with fourth place in Q2, Piastri was not able to with the McLaren driver’s horrid second sector, losing nearly half a second through the Esses due to a lack of rear grip, leaving him eliminated in P13 – nine-tenths of a second behind pacesetting teammate Norris.
Gasly narrowly made the cut in P10 to Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg. In the second Alpine Franco Colapinto managed to stay ahead of Piastri to take P12, while Gabriel Bortoleto went out in P14.
Haas driver Oliver Bearman was not able to string a clean lap together, losing his second flyer for track limits, and dropped out in P15 with Carlos Sainz the only Williams in Q2 as he took P16.
The Q1 segment was red-flagged with eleven minutes on the clock for Fernando Alonso as the Aston Martin grounded to a halt at the Foro Sol arena with a technical issue.
It was frustrating exit for the two-time world champion on what was looking like one of the team’s most competitive circuits, with Alonso’s only flyer almost good enough for Q2.
As Hamilton led the way with a time of one minute, 17.341 seconds, with the Aston Martin driver joined in the drop zone by Williams driver Alex Albon, who was a tenth slower than his teammate Sainz who did make the cut.
Making his Grand Prix debut for Haas, Ryo Hirakawa was P19. The Toyota WEC driver standings in for the benched Esteban Ocon. Ocon was dropped by the team without any further details, though it is believed tensions between the driver and his team have hit a breaking point. Ocon has already been replaced by Ferrari junior Rafa Camara for 2027.
Lance Stroll was P20, followed by Cadillac duo of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas. The latter had already been due to start last anyway due to a grid penalty for taking a fifth Ferrari power unit.
So congratulations to Lewis Hamilton in achieving his first pole position for Ferrari. Although it will be interesting if he can maintain his position as there’s a long run from the grid towards Turn 1 on the opening lap. Except some slipstream and chaos on lap one in the race!
Mexico City Grand Prix, qualifying positions:
1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:16.514
2 George Russell Mercedes 1:16.523
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:16.633
4 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:16.707
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull-Ford 1:16.692*
6 Lando Norris McLaren-Mercedes 1:16.824
7 Isack Hadjar Red Bull-Ford 1:16.900
8 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls-Ford 1:17.117
9 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls-Ford 1:17.029*
10 Pierre Gasly Alpine-Mercedes 1:17.153
11 Nico Hulkenberg Audi 1:17.306
12 Franco Colapinto Alpine-Mercedes 1:17.640
13 Oscar Piastri McLaren-Mercedes 1:17.646
14 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:17.680
15 Oliver Bearman Haas 1:18.083
16 Carlos Sainz Williams-Mercedes 1:18.885
17 Alexander Albon Williams-Mercedes 1:18.630
18 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin-Honda 1:18.908
19 Ryo Hirakawa Haas-Ferrari 1:18.958
20 Lance Stroll Aston Martin-Honda 1:19.072
21 Sergio Perez Cadillac-Ferrari 1:19.105
22 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac-Ferrari 1:19.852**
*One-place grid penalty for an incident in FP2
**Grid penalty for a power unit change
Lewis Hamilton’s long wait for pole position with Ferrari finally came to an end in Qualifying at the Mexico City Grand Prix, with the Briton beating Mercedes’ George Russell by the smallest of margins.
An incredibly close battle for the top spot culminated in Hamilton’s spectacular final effort of 1m 16.514s, taking him to new heights as he claimed the 105th pole of his F1 career.
Russell missed out by just 0.009s as he led Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen – who locked up on his last lap – and championship leader Kimi Antonelli, the top five separated by less than two-tenths.
McLaren’s immense pace from FP3 faded as Lando Norris wound up in P6, leading a frustrated Isack Hadjar who made an error that he struggled to bounce back from on his first effort in Q3.
Liam Lawson qualified P8 for Racing Bulls but will lose a position following his incident with Verstappen in FP2, as will the Dutchman. His team mate Arvid Lindblad will thus move from ninth to eighth, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly rounding out the top 10.
The biggest shock of the session came in the form of Oscar Piastri’s Q2 elimination, with his high-pressure final lap not enough to warrant higher than P13 behind Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg (P11) and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto (P12).
Gabriel Bortoleto claimed 14th place in the second Audi from Ollie Bearman and Carlos Sainz, who outqualified his Williams team mate Alex Albon for the 14th time this season as the Briton settled for P17.
18th-placed Fernando Alonso joined him in being eliminated from Q1, having been ordered by Aston Martin to abandon the session due to a suspected water pressure issue linked to the ERS system.
Haas’ latest driver Ryo Hirakawa, who has replaced Esteban Ocon for the remainder of the weekend in Mexico City, finished a respectable P19 in his first F1 Qualifying hour while Lance Stroll, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas completed the order.
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/hamilton-clinches-first-pole-with-ferrari-in-qualifying-at-the-mexico-city-gp.4GffzFhlnOxOjbHHMc0AJI
Ryo Hirakawa has reflected on his late call-up to race for Haas at the Mexico City Grand Prix, the Japanese driver describing the chance to make his Formula 1 debut as a “dream come true”.
Hirakawa was called up by Haas just hours before Qualifying on Saturday in Mexico to replace regular driver Esteban Ocon, with the team offering no further comment on the reasons for the switch.
Hirakawa had already competed in Free Practice 1 on Friday for the American team in his role as reserve driver and to comply with the regulations, citing that every full-time racer must make way for a rookie twice in the season.
Hirakawa’s outing on Friday was his ninth appearance in an FP1 session after previous running for Haas, Alpine and McLaren since 2024, but he will make his first Grand Prix start on Sunday after qualifying in P19.
“Obviously was a very big surprise this morning but I’m always here to be a reserve driver,” said Hirakawa when asked about the details for the call-up, having also driven in FP3.
“This is a role for myself, I was ready but always dreaming about it. Today, dream come true. Qualifying today, race tomorrow.
“Just these 12 hours passed so fast, have so much to prepare and the team helped a lot for myself. Really thanks to the team.”
A driver for Toyota in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), Hirakawa is a two-time champion in the category, as well as winning the 2022 Le Mans 24 Hours.
Hirakawa is also in contention to win the WEC next weekend at Monza, with any decision about who will race for Haas in Brazil next weekend yet to be confirmed.
Despite not knowing if this might be his only F1 outing, the 32-year-old was excited by the prospect to compete in his first Grand Prix.
“For [the] race, lots to prepare to be honest,” he added. “But today was [the] main focus to go through Q1, which was a shame for me, I had traffic in the last push lap.
“It was very [much a] shame but everything went well and I just need to focus for tomorrow on the race. Very excited for that.”
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Dropped Haas Formula 1 driver Esteban Ocon has denied French media rumours of a physical altercation with team boss Ayao Komatsu as he issued his response to missing this weekend’s Mexico Grand Prix.
Ocon was benched in Mexico, most likely connected to a public disagreement with his race engineer during free practice. That led to a discussion with the team on Friday night as the relationship between the Frenchman and his team has become increasingly strained.
As a result of Friday’s events, details of which remain sparse, Haas made the decision to drop Ocon for the remainder of the weekend, with reserve driver and Toyota WEC driver Ryo Hirakawa taking over his car from FP3 onwards.
But with speculation rife in French media outlets over the exact nature of Ocon’s spat with Komatsu, including rumours of a possible physical altercation between the two, Ocon’s camp was forced to deny those unsubstantiated rumours via his social media accounts.
“Following the recent decision from Haas F1 Team confirming that I will not be participating in this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix, I wish to formally address some media reports and speculation surrounding the situation,” Ocon’s accounts posted.
“Last night, a difference in viewpoints led to a discussion with the parties involved. Whilst I acknowledge that this took place, I categorically reject any reports or allegations suggesting that any form of physical violence was used to resolve any differences of any nature.”
He added: “I strongly condemn violence in all its forms and firmly believe that disagreements should always be handled with professionalism, respect, and mutual understanding. I kindly ask that speculation be avoided while the matter is being addressed. Further updates will be communicated in due course.”
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/esteban-ocon-issues-statement-after-haas-benching-denies-physical-altercation-rumours/10870336/
Lewis Hamilton was nearly left speechless after he secured his first pole position with Ferrari at the Mexico City Grand Prix, ending a three-year wait to return to the top spot in Qualifying.
The Briton’s last pole came at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, but just over four months on from his maiden victory for the Scuderia, he pipped Mercedes’ George Russell to clinch P1 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Hamilton had set the pace in the opening segment of Qualifying before finding himself with work to do after his first run in Q3. Amid tight competition, he managed to deliver when it mattered, posting a 1m 16.514s to clear Russell by just 0.009s and take the 105th pole of his F1 career.
“Wow! That felt great,” he said straight after the session. “That feels good. So happy. Oh man, I’m lost for words. It’s been a really, really tough, challenging weekend.
“Obviously, FP1, we had a rake running, and we obviously then had the engine issue we had yesterday, which meant that we were just on the back foot. I didn’t get to do a long run. But we’ve really done a good job with the set-up over the weekend.
“We’ve really worked, we’ve learned a lot from the last race. But it’s so close between us all, you know. And, for example, Q2, I didn’t get my lap at the beginning. I think the others had a new tyre for the start.
“But wow, to have pole here, I mean, I don’t even know if I’ve had a pole here before. So it feels special to be in Mexico and get that. My first, I think this is my first pole with Ferrari. And 105… I like that number.”
Hamilton did indeed qualify in first place at this track back in 2016, making it the 22nd circuit he has taken more than one pole position at. On top of that, he has also become the oldest polesitter since Mario Andretti at the 1982 Italian Grand Prix.
When informed of his new record, he replied: “When there’s a will, there’s a way, you know? And I think it’s all in the mind, honestly. I think for all of us, you know, for sure you might feel aches and pains. I, luckily, don’t.
“I mean, I ice bath a lot. I do all those different things that you can do to try and keep yourself young and fit. But I love what I do. And that love is not gone, you know. I wake up every day thinking about it.
“I dream about it. And I’ve got this amazing support around the world that keeps me going. And so I hope they’re happy with that today, and I hope that I can deliver for them tomorrow.”
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/wow-hamilton-reacts-to-special-maiden-pole-with-ferrari-at-mexico-city-gp.1S7nqyX2uIPgZomeRkneq4
Charles Leclerc was left to rue another 2026 qualifying session that didn’t go his way but there was added frustration as the cards fell for his Ferrari team mate Lewis Hamilton, who took a superb pole position.
Quickest in Mexico City on Friday, as has often been the case this season, Leclerc ran through the three qualifying sessions in P3, P3, P3, only beating Hamilton in the second one.
As was the case in Austin last week, the big issue was getting the tyres into the right window for an optimum qualifying lap, and once again he openly admitted that he’d got it wrong.
“I just didn’t do a good enough job,” he said. “Yes, tyre preparation is quite key. I kind of struggled to have the same conditions for my out lap throughout the qualifying.
“But at the end of the day, when I had a clean out lap in Q3, run two, I didn’t do the job. So I can only be angry with myself.”
The good news is that the SF-26 has proved well suited to the challenges of the high altitude track, and after so many unfulfilled promises in recent months Ferrari look well set for Sunday’s race.
“I think we’ve got a very strong car in the corners,” said Leclerc. “In the straight, we pay the price of less power, but also probably a bit more drag. And with driving in such conditions, so high in altitude, you pay the price a little bit less in the straights of the extra drag and of the missing horsepower.
“So, yes, it’s been a good track. And on paper, normally this year, we never really performed as we expected on the tracks we expected to be good. But this weekend has been the case, so it’s a good sign.”
Mexico is of course a very special track when it comes to the start, and the long drag down to Turn 1 means that being on pole isn’t always optimum, with Leclerc habing the chance to benefit from the tow of Hamilton and George Russell up ahead.
“I mean, I’ll keep my head down as much as possible and see what’s possible,” he said. “But, yes, it’s always an exciting Turn 1 there, and we’ll see how it goes.”
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Kimi Antonelli has conceded that feeling “more tense than usual” at the Mexico City Grand Prix – a weekend in which he could potentially seal his maiden World Championship – played a factor in his Qualifying performance, with the Italian not satisfied by his outing en route to P4.
While the other Mercedes of George Russell looked to be in the fight for pole position – the Briton ultimately ending the session in P2 behind Lewis Hamilton – Antonelli had to settle for fifth place, which will subsequently become fourth on the grid due to a one-place penalty for Max Verstappen ahead.
Twenty-four hours ahead of what might be a momentous day for the youngster – with a P9 finish being enough to secure the title – Antonelli admitted when reflecting back on the session that it had not been the most straightforward outing amid low-grip conditions.
“It was tricky for everyone, I think,” the championship leader explained. “I just feel like I didn’t do a good enough job out there and didn’t have the most confidence. Definitely I’ve been a bit more tense this weekend than usual, but yeah, still a lot to play for tomorrow.”
Pushed on what his mindset is entering into Sunday’s race, Antonelli acknowledged that approaching it as normal has been a challenge.
“I mean, it hasn’t been easy this weekend, to be fair,” the 20-year-old said. “It hasn’t been easy, especially to keep my emotions flat, and definitely I’ve been a bit more tense than usual so also that played a big factor.
“But I’ll try to enjoy the evening with family and friends and then focus onto tomorrow.”
Should Antonelli clinch the crown, the driver from Italy will become the sport’s youngest-ever World Champion.
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/i-didnt-do-a-good-enough-job-antonelli-admits-feeling-more-tense-than-usual-in-mexico-city-qualifying.2DHPy7wRU0Qymi79OMvZyy