Lewis Hamilton claimed his first pole position with Ferrari at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Saturday, delivering a superb lap at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to edge out Mercedes' George Russell by just 0.009 seconds.
The seven-time champion's 105th career pole, his first since 2023, came in his second season with the team and put him ahead of Russell on the front row. Charles Leclerc qualified third for Ferrari, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli took fourth place.
A Long-Awaited Moment
Hamilton was visibly emotional after securing the top spot, describing the achievement as a long time coming. "Thank you so much, that's been such a long time coming," he said. "That feels good. I'm lost for words. My first pole with Ferrari. 105 poles, I like that number."
He added: "Where there's a will, there's a way. It's all in the mind. For sure, you might feel aches and pains, luckily I don't, I do all those different things to keep myself young and fit. But I love what I do, and love is not gone."
Championship Picture
Antonelli, the world champion in waiting, remains on course to close out the title on Sunday despite starting fourth. Russell and Hamilton, who must win the race to keep the championship fight alive, have locked out the front row.
The top 10 on the grid are: Hamilton (Ferrari) 1:16.514, Russell (Mercedes) +0.009, Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.119, Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.178, Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.193, Norris (McLaren) +0.310, Hadjar (Red Bull) +0.386, Lawson (Racing Bulls) +0.515, Lindblad (Racing Bulls) +0.603, and Gasly (Alpine) +0.639.
