Lewis Hamilton secured his first pole position with Ferrari during the qualifying session for the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, ending a three-year drought in pole positions. His lap time of 1m 16.514s narrowly edged out Mercedes driver George Russell by just 0.009 seconds, marking Hamilton’s 105th career pole overall.
The qualifying session on October 31, 2026, saw a tightly packed top five, with less than two-tenths of a second separating Hamilton, Russell, Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, and Kimi Antonelli. Leclerc took third place, while Verstappen qualified fourth but will face a grid penalty. Notable moments included Oscar Piastri’s unexpected elimination in Q2, finishing 13th, and Fernando Alonso’s exit in Q1 due to a suspected energy recovery system issue. Ryo Hirakawa made his Formula 1® qualifying debut with Haas, ending the session in 19th position.
The Mexico City Grand Prix is scheduled to start at 14:00 local time on Sunday, November 1, 2026. The qualifying results set the stage for a closely contested race, with the front row separated by mere hundredths of a second.
Hamilton’s pole position with Ferrari is significant as it breaks his personal streak without poles over the past three years. The narrow margin over Russell highlights the competitive nature of the qualifying session, with multiple teams including Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull Racing, and McLaren all closely matched.
Max Verstappen’s final lap lock-up prevented him from improving his position beyond fourth, and the subsequent grid penalty will affect his starting spot. Meanwhile, the early exit of Fernando Alonso due to a suspected ERS-related problem underscored some of the technical challenges faced by Aston Martin during the session.
Ryo Hirakawa’s debut in qualifying for Haas adds a fresh element to the grid, as he gains experience in the highly competitive environment of Formula 1®. Oscar Piastri’s elimination in Q2 was a surprise, reflecting the unpredictable nature of qualifying in the current season.
Hamilton expressed satisfaction with his performance, marking a positive moment for both himself and Ferrari. The close times among the top qualifiers suggest that the race will be tightly contested, with strategy and execution playing key roles. The session also underlined the depth of competition across several teams, with less than two-tenths of a second separating the leading drivers.