Hamilton takes first Ferrari pole in Mexico by 0.009 seconds as Antonelli needs only ninth place to be world champion

Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the Mexico City Grand Prix on Saturday, October 31, 2026, beating George Russell by 0.009 seconds with a lap of 1:16.514. It is the 41-year-old's first pole for Ferrari and his first in any car for 1,197 days. Behind him, Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli starts fourth and needs only a ninth-place finish on Sunday to become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history.

A weekend that had gone wrong until the last lap

Little pointed to this on Friday. Ferrari used Hamilton's car for aerodynamic testing in the first practice session, and a power unit problem cut short his second. Charles Leclerc topped both Friday sessions and looked the likelier Ferrari polesitter when he edged Max Verstappen by 0.045 seconds on the first runs in Q3.

Then Russell dropped the double preparation lap Mercedes had been trying and went straight for a flying lap on cooler track. He moved more than a tenth clear of Leclerc. Hamilton crossed the line moments later, nine thousandths quicker.

His radio message was brief and emotional: "such a long time coming."

Leclerc's final lap was untidy and he finished 0.119 seconds back, admitting that getting the tyres into their working window had been a weakness. Verstappen was fastest in the first sector on his last run, then locked up in the stadium section.

The numbers behind pole number 105

Detail	Figure
Pole time	1:16.514
Margin over Russell	0.009 seconds
Career poles	105, a record
Days since last pole	1,197 (Hungary, July 22, 2023)
Margin of that last pole	0.003 seconds over Verstappen
Hamilton's age	41, oldest polesitter since Mario Andretti in 1982

It is also a sharp reversal from Mexico a year ago, when Lando Norris took pole and Hamilton qualified third. Norris this time could only manage sixth, after topping Q2 by 0.148 seconds and final practice by a thousandth.

Sunday's grid after the penalties

Verstappen and Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson were each given a one-place grid penalty for making contact in the stadium section in Friday's second practice, an incident that damaged both cars and brought out a red flag. Stewards had warned teams about such behaviour. The penalty hands Antonelli fourth place.

Grid	Driver	Team
1	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari
2	George Russell	Mercedes
3	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari
4	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes
5	Max Verstappen	Red Bull
6	Lando Norris	McLaren
13	Oscar Piastri	McLaren

Further back, Fernando Alonso's car stopped in Q1 with a suspected ERS problem. Ryo Hirakawa, called up to replace Esteban Ocon at Haas, qualified 19th on his debut. Home favourite Sergio Perez was 21st for Cadillac. Piastri went out in Q2 after a used-tyre run and an abandoned lap left him one attempt, which was not enough.

How the title can be settled in Mexico

Antonelli came to Mexico City with a huge lead, and the arithmetic now favours him heavily.

Driver	Points before the race
Kimi Antonelli	365
George Russell	242
Lewis Hamilton	241
Max Verstappen	236
Charles Leclerc	233
Lando Norris	211

Ninth place would do it, so his real risk is the first corner. The run from the grid to Turn 1 is one of the longest in the sport, with a big slipstream and a wide braking area that invites ambitious moves. Starting fourth, he has cars around him that have every reason to attack.

The 71-lap race takes place on Sunday in Mexico City, which is early Monday morning in Pakistan.