- Hamilton beats Russell to pole by 0.009secs
- Leclerc third as Ferrari put both cars in top three
- Verstappen fourth but drops behind Antonelli after penalty
- Piastri eliminated in Q2 for McLaren
Lewis Hamilton took his first pole position for Ferrari by beating George Russell by 0.009 seconds in qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion set a 1:16.514 on his final lap to edge out his former Mercedes team-mate, with Charles Leclerc third in the second Ferrari.
Max Verstappen was fourth fastest but will start fifth because of a one-place grid penalty, promoting championship leader Kimi Antonelli to the second row.
Hamilton edges Russell in close finish
Leclerc had been fastest in both Friday practice sessions, while Lando Norris topped final practice by 0.001secs from Antonelli, but Hamilton emerged as Ferrari’s leading contender when qualifying reached Q3.
Leclerc set the pace after the first runs with a 1:16.647, ahead of Verstappen, while Hamilton was more than four-tenths off the benchmark. Russell moved into provisional pole position with a 1:16.523 on his final attempt, only for Hamilton to cross the line moments later and beat him by nine-thousandths.
Leclerc also improved, but his 1:16.633 left him 0.119secs behind his team-mate. Verstappen was fourth after locking up at Turn 13 on his final attempt, with Antonelli 0.193secs from pole in fifth. The result gave Hamilton the 105th pole of his Formula 1 career, his first since 2023 and his first since moving from Mercedes to Ferrari.
Mercedes challenge Ferrari
Russell’s second place came after he sat out first practice while reserve driver Frederik Vesti drove his Mercedes. Antonelli was fifth fastest to put both Mercedes cars inside the top five. Less than two-tenths separated Hamilton, Russell, Leclerc, Verstappen and Antonelli.
Norris qualified sixth after leading FP3, ahead of Isack Hadjar and Racing Bulls pair Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad. Pierre Gasly completed the top 10.
Mexico City Grand Prix qualifying – Top 10
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:16.514 |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.009 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.119 |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.178 |
| 5 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.193 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.310 |
| 7 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | +0.386 |
| 8 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +0.515 |
| 9 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | +0.603 |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +0.639 |
Verstappen will start fifth after a one-place grid penalty, promoting Antonelli to fourth.
Piastri out in Q2
Oscar Piastri was the highest-profile driver eliminated before Q3 as the McLaren driver qualified 13th. Piastri struggled for rear grip while team-mate Norris progressed comfortably and eventually took sixth. Nico Hulkenberg and Franco Colapinto were 11th and 12th, with Gabriel Bortoleto and Oliver Bearman also eliminated in Q2.
Fernando Alonso went out in Q1 after Aston Martin told him to stop because of a suspected water-pressure problem. His stoppage brought out the red flag and left him 18th. Alex Albon, Ryo Hirakawa, Lance Stroll, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas were the other drivers eliminated in the opening session.
Antonelli closes on title
Verstappen’s grid penalty moves Antonelli up to fourth alongside Leclerc on the second row, behind Hamilton and Russell. The 20-year-old Mercedes driver goes into the race with a 123-point championship lead over Russell and needs to finish ninth or higher to guarantee his first Formula 1 world title.
Hamilton will start from pole with Russell alongside him, while the very long run to the first corner allows Leclerc and Antonelli to challenge from the second row.
The Mexico City Grand Prix starts at 8pm GMT on Sunday.
Our Mexico City Grand Prix weekend guide has the full UK and US viewing details.
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