Hamilton secures 105th pole for Ferrari in Mexico
The seven-time world champion overcame a mechanical failure on Friday to start ahead of George Russell and Charles Leclerc.
By Carmen Wojcik ·
Lewis Hamilton arrived at the Circuit of the Americas with a bold claim about his unique place in motorsport history. On Saturday, the British driver backed that statement with a lap that put him at the front of the grid.
Hamilton set the fastest time in qualifying for the Mexican Grand Prix. He beat Mercedes driver George Russell and Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc to take pole position. The result marks a 105th pole position for Hamilton, extending his own record for the most in Formula 1 history.
At 41 years old, Hamilton is the fifth oldest driver to secure a pole in the sport's history. He is the oldest to achieve this feat since Mario Andretti in 1982. Nino Farina holds the all-time record for the oldest pole sitter at 47 years and two months.
This is the first pole position for Ferrari since the Hungarian Grand Prix last year, a gap of 30 races. Hamilton has won the Mexican Grand Prix twice in the past. He now seeks to become the first Ferrari driver to win a race from pole since Carlos Sainz did so in Mexico in 2024.
Hamilton's Saturday performance followed a difficult Friday. During the second practice session, he suffered a power loss that forced him to abandon the track. He described the car setup as good over the weekend and called the result special for his first pole in Mexico with Ferrari.
Kimi Antonelli qualified fifth for the race. The 20-year-old Italian can become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history if he finishes no lower than ninth on Sunday. That would break the record set by Sebastian Vettel, who became a champion at 23. Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix from pole last week.
Antonelli has won nine races this season. Mercedes driver George Russell started the year as the team's primary driver and won the season opener in Australia, but Antonelli has taken most of the victories since. Antonelli can also become the first Italian to win a title since Alberto Ascari in 1953. Mercedes can claim its first constructors' championship since 2021.
Fernando Alonso was eliminated after completing only four laps in the first part of qualifying. The Spanish driver for Aston Martin was told to stop just before the pit lane entrance. He expressed frustration over the radio, noting he was only 100 meters from the pit lane. Alonso has not finished the last four races in Mexico. Local driver Sergio Perez qualified 21st, while Valtteri Bottas took 22nd, giving the new Cadillac team the two back rows.
