Lewis Hamilton secures first Ferrari pole position in Mexico

Hamilton breaks records in Mexico

Lewis Hamilton claimed his first pole position for Ferrari in Mexico, beating George Russell by 0.009 seconds in a tense qualifying session. This result provides Ferrari with its first pole of the 2026 season. The 41-year-old Hamilton reached 105 career poles, extending his own record. He becomes the oldest driver to score a pole since Mario Andretti in 1982. Hamilton had to overcome a difficult Friday when a technical issue forced him to pull over on the start-finish straight. He managed to secure fourth in Q2 before his final charge. I consider Hamilton’s ability to recover from a difficult Friday to be the defining moment of the session. His teammate Charles Leclerc appeared to have the advantage all weekend, but he finished third, 0.119 seconds behind Hamilton, after a slide at Turn 10 cost him. Max Verstappen took fourth, 0.178 seconds behind, but a smoke-screen lock-up at Turn 13 ruined his lap. Verstappen’s one-place grid penalty for his Friday collision with Liam Lawson means he will start fifth, behind Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli and McLaren struggles

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli qualified fifth, 0.193 seconds behind Russell. Antonelli could seal the title this weekend if he finishes ninth or higher and either Hamilton or Russell wins. I think Antonelli struggled to find pace, and he told Sky Sports F1 "I still not feeling 100 per cent" after the session. Lando Norris took sixth for McLaren, but his teammate Oscar Piastri suffered a shock exit in Q2; he finished 13th, more than three tenths of a second behind Pierre Gasly due to a lack of grip. Piastri had been competitive in Q1, but Norris set a pacesetting 1m16.728s in Q2. Isack Hadjar finished seventh, while Lawson and Arvid Lindblad will swap positions on the grid because Lawson’s penalty moves him to eighth and Lindblad to ninth. I think the Red Bull drivers both had a difficult time at Turn 13, as both Hadjar and Verstappen suffered issues there. Hadjar’s session was scruffy with repeated lock-ups at the turn.

Alonso frustration and Haas debut

Fernando Alonso finished 18th after a suspected water pressure issue in his Aston Martin caused a red flag during Q1. Alonso stopped in the stadium section, leading him to say "frustration is beyond imagination" to the media. I think his decision to punch his steering wheel showed how much the stoppage affected him. The stewards issued him a reprimand for a violation of "general safety" after he failed to replace his steering wheel. Alonso was seventh-quickest in the first practice session yesterday. Ryo Hirakawa made his qualifying debut in 19th, replacing Esteban Ocon as speculation intensifies as to why the Frenchman was dropped mid-weekend. I find the Haas performance inconsistent, as Oliver Bearman was the only Haas in Q2 but made a mistake in the last sector to finish 15th, while Hirakawa finished 19th. In the Cadillac battle, Sergio Perez beat Valtteri Bottas by 0.769 seconds, placing Perez 21st and Bottas 22nd. Carlos Sainz finished 16th for Williams, beating his teammate Alex Albon by 1.289 seconds. Pierre Gasly finished tenth, ahead of Franco Colapinto in 12th and Oscar Piastri in 13th. Gabriel Bortoleto took 14th for Audi, ahead of Bearman. Nico Hulkenberg finished 11th, trailing Gasly by a mere 0.036 seconds.