Sportsupdated 51m ago2 min read
Archive photo · 4 June 2025Lewis Hamilton Takes Pole for Ferrari at 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, Beats George Russell
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Hamilton takes Ferrari's first 2026 pole in Mexico City, beating Russell by 0.009s. Pole lap time: 1:16.514.
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27 outlets told this the same way.
Hamilton wins pole in Mexico
Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, beating George Russell by 0.009 seconds with Charles Leclerc completing the top three. Hamilton set the best time in Q3 at 1:16.514, and the result marked his first pole for Ferrari and his 105th career pole in Formula 1.
Autosport said Hamilton took pole by 0.009s from Russell, and the BBC said Hamilton claimed his first pole position for Ferrari and his first for more than three years at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The qualifying session featured a close fight for the front, with Leclerc finishing 0.119 seconds behind Hamilton and Max Verstappen locking up into the hairpin in the stadium section and ruining his lap.
Q1 disruption, Q3 drama
Fernando Alonso’s retirement during Q1 triggered a red flag after Aston Martin asked him to stop the car when smoke was detected, and he eventually had to park the car in the Foro Sol area and leave the session without another attempt. VAVEL said Hamilton posted the best time for Q1 with 1:17.341, and it said Alonso’s Aston Martin started having issues with the Honda power unit.
The BBC described Hamilton’s post-qualifying reaction as, "Oh man, I'm lost for words," and it quoted Hamilton saying, "We've done a really good job on the setup and to have pole here, wow, it feels special." Russell explained his approach after qualifying, saying he took a unilateral decision not to do a preparation lap after his out lap on his final run, and Verstappen said traffic with another car led to his loss of time.
Grid implications and title stakes
Kimi Antonelli qualified fifth behind Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen, but the BBC said Antonelli will start fourth because of a one-place penalty for the Dutchman. The BBC laid out the title scenarios, stating that the only way Antonelli can be prevented from winning the title is if Russell wins and the Italian finishes lower than ninth, or if Hamilton wins and Antonelli is out of the points.
Hamilton’s pole also set up a front-row lockout for the two drivers who can potentially stop Antonelli clinching the world title on Sunday, and the BBC said Hamilton’s pole was his first since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, three years and three months ago, and the 105th of his career. Autosport said Verstappen was fourth but dropped a place so Antonelli would move up to the second row on the grid, and it said Hamilton held on to take his first Ferrari pole and his first pole since 2023.