Lewis Hamilton has secured his inaugural pole position for Ferrari at the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix. The British driver achieved the top spot with a lap time of one minute, 16.514 seconds at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
This marks Hamilton’s first pole since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, ending a 1,197-day period without a qualifying lead. He narrowly outpaced Mercedes driver George Russell by a margin of 0.009 seconds. Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc qualified in third position.
At 41 years, nine months, and 24 days old, Hamilton becomes the oldest driver to claim pole position since Mario Andretti at the 1982 Italian Grand Prix. This achievement places him as the fifth-oldest polesitter in Formula 1 history.
The historical record for the oldest polesitter is held by Giuseppe Farina, who was 47 years old at the 1954 Argentine Grand Prix. Juan Manuel Fangio, Jack Brabham, and Mario Andretti also precede Hamilton on this list.
Hamilton acknowledged the significance of the pole, drawing a direct comparison to Michael Schumacher’s qualifying performances for Ferrari. He stated the achievement carried additional emotional weight.
This pole position comes in Hamilton’s second season with Ferrari, following a challenging debut year in 2025. His 2026 campaign has shown significant improvement, including a victory at the Barcelona Grand Prix earlier this year.
Hamilton’s current contract with Ferrari extends through the 2027 season, with an option for 2028. He has indicated a desire to continue racing as long as his performance remains competitive.
During the qualifying session, Leclerc initially set the pace in Q3. Hamilton then delivered a clean final lap, managing his tyres effectively to secure the top spot.
Max Verstappen, who qualified fourth, will start the Grand Prix from fifth position due to a one-place grid penalty. This penalty resulted from an incident with Liam Lawson during Free Practice 2.
Liam Lawson was subsequently disqualified from qualifying due to a technical breach, moving his Racing Bulls car to the back of the grid.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli qualified fifth but will start fourth due to Verstappen’s penalty. Antonelli requires a ninth-place finish or higher in Sunday’s race to secure his maiden title.
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit is known for its low downforce and grip conditions, presenting a technical challenge for all teams.
The full qualifying results for the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix are as follows:
1. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 1:16.514s
2. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.009s
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.119s
4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.178s (starts 5th due to penalty)
5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.193s (starts 4th due to Verstappen’s penalty)
6. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.310s
7. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +0.386s
8. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +0.515s (disqualified, starts last)
9. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) +0.603s
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +0.639s
Oscar Piastri was eliminated in Q2, qualifying 13th. Fernando Alonso experienced a mechanical issue in Q1, forcing him to stop on track. Esteban Ocon was replaced by Ryo Hirakawa for the remainder of the weekend.
