Hamilton snatches a dramatic Mexican pole
Lewis Hamilton stormed to pole position for the Mexican Grand Prix in a thrilling conclusion to qualifying. His final lap was just enough to edge out his teammate George Russell, securing a front-row lockout for the Mercedes team. Charles Leclerc put his car into a strong third position for the race.
Max Verstappen, who had a challenging weekend, qualified in fourth place but will start from fifth due to a grid penalty. The top five was rounded out by an impressive performance from Kimi Antonelli.
Notable eliminations shake up the grid
The earlier sessions saw several major upsets, with Lando Norris impressively topping the timesheets in Q2. It was a disappointing session for Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz who were both knocked out. The first part of qualifying also delivered a shock as home favourite Sergio Pérez failed to advance, alongside experienced drivers like Fernando Alonso.
Session highlights
- Lewis Hamilton secured pole position with an ultimate fastest lap of 1:15.873.
- George Russell completed a Mercedes front-row lockout, qualifying just behind his teammate.
- Max Verstappen qualified fourth but will start the Grand Prix from fifth place following a grid penalty.
Full Results Qualifying Mexico GP 2026
| POS | DRIVER | TEAM | TIME / GAP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Lewis Hamilton |
Scuderia Ferrari | 1:16.514 |
| 2 | George Russell |
Mercedes AMG F1 | 1:16.523 |
| 3 |  Charles Leclerc |
Scuderia Ferrari | 1:16.633 |
| 4 |  Max Verstappen |
Red Bull Racing | 1:16.692 |
| 5 |  Kimi Antonelli |
Mercedes AMG F1 | 1:16.707 |
| 6 | Lando Norris |
McLaren F1 team | 1:16.824 |
| 7 |  Isack Hadjar |
Red Bull Racing | 1:16.900 |
| 8 |  Liam Lawson |
Racing Bulls | 1:17.029 |
| 9 | Arvid Lindblad |
Racing Bulls | 1:17.117 |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly |
Alpine F1 | 1:17.153 |
| 11 |  Nico Hulkenberg |
Audi F1 Team | 1:17.306 |
| 12 |  Franco Colapinto |
Alpine F1 | 1:17.640 |
| 13 |  Oscar Piastri |
McLaren F1 team | 1:17.646 |
| 14 |  Gabriel Bortoleto |
Audi F1 Team | 1:17.680 |
| 15 | Oliver Bearman |
Haas F1 | 1:18.083 |
| 16 |  Carlos Sainz |
Williams Racing | 1:18.885 |
| 17 |  Alexander Albon |
Williams Racing | 1:18.630 |
| 18 | Fernando Alonso |
Aston Martin F1 Team | 1:18.908 |
| 19 |  Ryo Hirakawa |
Haas F1 | 1:18.958 |
| 20 |  Lance Stroll |
Aston Martin F1 Team | 1:19.072 |
| 21 |  Sergio Pérez |
Cadillac F1 Team | 1:19.105 |
| 22 |  Valtteri Bottas |
Cadillac F1 Team | 1:19.852 |
