Hamilton Takes First Ferrari Pole in Mexico City
Lewis Hamilton edges George Russell by nine-thousandths of a second, and Kimi Antonelli starts fourth needing only ninth place to become the youngest champion.
Lewis Hamilton took his first pole position for Ferrari at the Mexico City Grand Prix, beating George Russell of Mercedes by 0.009 seconds, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli will start fourth with the title within reach.
Hamilton's lap of 1:16.514 gave him the 105th pole of his career and his first since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix. Russell was second in 1:16.523, and Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari.
Max Verstappen qualified fourth but drops to fifth with a one-place penalty, for an incident with Liam Lawson in second practice, which moves Antonelli up to fourth. Oscar Piastri was knocked out in the second session and qualified 13th.
Antonelli, 20, clinches the title in the race unless Russell wins and Antonelli finishes lower than ninth, or Hamilton wins and Antonelli fails to score. He would become the youngest champion in the sport's history.
Lewis Hamilton took his first pole position for Ferrari at the Mexico City Grand Prix, beating George Russell of Mercedes by 0.009 seconds, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli will start fourth with the title within reach.
Hamilton set a lap of 1:16.514 on his final run in the third session of qualifying for the 105th pole of his career and his first since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Russell was second in 1:16.523, and Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari in 1:16.633.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull was fastest through the first two sectors of his last lap but locked up at the hairpin in the stadium section and qualified fourth. He drops to fifth on the grid with a one-place penalty for an incident with Liam Lawson in second practice, which moves Antonelli up from fifth to fourth.
Lawson takes the same penalty and starts ninth, behind Lando Norris, Isack Hadjar and Arvid Lindblad, with Pierre Gasly 10th. Oscar Piastri was knocked out in the second session and qualified 13th.
"I hope you're proud of yourselves too," Hamilton told his team on the radio.
Antonelli, 20, won the United States Grand Prix from pole last week. He clinches the title in the race on November 1 unless Russell wins and Antonelli finishes lower than ninth, or Hamilton wins and Antonelli fails to score.
A title would make him the youngest champion in the sport's history, taking the record from Sebastian Vettel, who first won it at 23.