Hamilton Takes First Ferrari Pole in Mexico as Antonelli Eyes Title

Update, 2 November 2026: Hamilton could not convert pole into victory. Max Verstappen won the Mexico City Grand Prix from fifth on the grid, finishing 0.799 seconds ahead of Hamilton, while Kimi Antonelli’s third place made him the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history. Read our full race report: Antonelli crowned youngest F1 champion as Verstappen wins in Mexico.

Lewis Hamilton will start the Mexico City Grand Prix from pole position after taking his first pole for Ferrari on Saturday, setting up a race in which Kimi Antonelli can be crowned Formula 1 world champion. The seven-time champion lapped the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in 1m 16.514s, just 0.009 seconds quicker than Mercedes’ George Russell.

The two drivers on the front row are the only men who can still stop Antonelli. The Mercedes driver, who won the United States Grand Prix to move to the brink of the title, qualified fifth but will start fourth because of a one-place grid penalty for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The race starts at 14:00 local time on Sunday (20:00 GMT, 21:00 WAT) over 71 laps.

How Did Hamilton Take Pole?

Hamilton’s lap was his first pole position since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, more than three years ago, and the 105th of his career, extending his own all-time record. According to BBC Sport, he is the oldest driver to take pole since Mario Andretti did so for Ferrari at the 1982 Italian Grand Prix.

His weekend had not started smoothly. Hamilton said an engine issue on Friday had left Ferrari “on the back foot” and unable to complete a long run. He was only fourth after the first runs in Q3, more than four-tenths behind team-mate Charles Leclerc, before producing what he called “a super-good lap” on his final attempt.

“Oh man, I’m lost for words,” Hamilton said afterwards. “It’s my first pole for Ferrari, and 105th, I like that number.” He added that it took him back to watching Michael Schumacher take pole after pole for the team.

Hamilton and Russell both set their times early in the final run and then watched as their rivals tried and failed to beat them. Leclerc fell 0.119 seconds short, and Verstappen was fastest of all after two sectors before locking up at the hairpin in the stadium section. The Dutchman blamed traffic, saying another car close behind him in the previous corners had forced him onto an awkward line.

What Did Russell and Verstappen Say?

Russell said he was pleased to end a difficult run of form but admitted he could not explain why it had turned around. He revealed that he had decided on his own not to do a preparation lap on his final run, against the team’s plan, even though the car had been fuelled for it. The time lost to the extra fuel, he said, was “such a small number, but it’s bigger than the gap to pole”.

Verstappen qualified fourth but will drop a place on the grid. Formula1.com reported that the penalty followed an incident with Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson in second practice; Lawson was also due to lose a place but was later disqualified from qualifying for a technical infringement relating to power-unit energy deployment and will start from the back.

What Does Antonelli Need to Win the Title?

The arithmetic is heavily in the 20-year-old Italian’s favour. According to BBC Sport, Antonelli can only be denied the title in Mexico if Russell wins the race and Antonelli finishes lower than ninth, or if Hamilton wins and Antonelli fails to score points. In practice, a finish of ninth or better guarantees him the championship whatever his rivals do.

Starting fourth gives Antonelli a cushion, but the long run to the first corner in Mexico City is notorious for first-lap contact, and the high altitude places extra stress on engines and cooling systems. A retirement, rather than a lack of pace, is the most likely way for the title fight to continue to the next round.

Who Else Is Near the Front?

McLaren’s Lando Norris qualified sixth after looking quick in practice and topping the second session of qualifying. “Just not quick enough, that’s all,” he said. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly complete the top 10 once Lawson’s disqualification is taken into account.

Fernando Alonso, who had been strong in practice for Aston Martin, was eliminated in Q1 after a water leak in the energy recovery system forced him to stop on track while he was lying third. In a terse television interview afterwards, he said he could do little in the race “from the back”.

When Does the Mexico City Grand Prix Start?

Lights out is at 14:00 local time on Sunday 1 November, which is 20:00 GMT and 21:00 West Africa Time. MediaPavilion will not speculate on the result before the chequered flag; the race outcome and the title decision will be confirmed after the event. For newer fans, our explainers on how the NFL playoffs work and the Premier League format show how other major championships settle their titles.

Featured image: Lewis Hamilton driving for Ferrari in qualifying at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix, by Eustace Bagge / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. File photo; not taken at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Sources

• Formula1.com — Hamilton clinches first pole with Ferrari in Qualifying at the Mexico City GP (31 October 2026).
• BBC Sport — Hamilton takes first pole for Ferrari at Mexico City Grand Prix (31 October 2026).
• Formula1.com — Antonelli crowned youngest ever F1 champion as Verstappen wins eventful Mexico City Grand Prix (1 November 2026).
• Formula 1 — 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix race result (1 November 2026).