Lewis Hamilton marked a significant career milestone at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Saturday, securing his first-ever pole position for Ferrari. The 41-year-old seven-time world champion clocked a time of one minute 16.514 seconds at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, claiming the 105th pole of his career. This achievement also made Hamilton the oldest driver to take pole position since American Mario Andretti, who accomplished the feat at 42 years of age in 1982.
Reflecting on the achievement over the team radio, Hamilton expressed his gratitude for the team's efforts, noting the long wait since his last regular grand prix pole in Hungary in July 2023. He further remarked on the emotional significance of the moment, drawing comparisons to watching Michael Schumacher’s historic successes with the Italian team. “It feels great to be able to reward them with a pole, and to have your first Ferrari pole, I mean, it just takes me back to watching Michael get all those pole positions when he was at Ferrari and all those wins. So it’s very, very special,” Hamilton said.
While Hamilton celebrated his return to the front of the grid, the focus of the championship narrative remains on Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli. The 20-year-old Italian, who is on the cusp of becoming Formula One’s youngest champion, qualified fifth but will move up to fourth place due to a grid penalty for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Antonelli admitted to feeling the pressure during the session, stating he struggled with tyre confidence and made several mistakes during his qualifying laps. He needs only a ninth-place finish on Sunday to secure the world title.
The battle for the front row was closely contested, with Mercedes driver George Russell finishing second, just 0.009 seconds behind Hamilton. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc rounded out the top three, finishing 0.119 seconds off the pace. Reigning champion Lando Norris, driving for McLaren, qualified sixth, while Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad also secured spots in the top ten.
The qualifying session saw several complications for other teams. Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson was initially eighth fastest but was later disqualified for a technical breach, moving him to the back of the grid. Additionally, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was forced to stop during the first session due to a suspected water pressure issue in his power unit. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri faced a difficult outing, failing to make the top ten and complaining of a lack of rear grip, which hindered his team's efforts in the constructors' standings.
The grid also featured the race debut of Japanese driver Ryo Hirakawa, who qualified 19th for Haas, replacing Esteban Ocon. Local favourite Sergio Perez, preparing for his 300th grand prix, struggled at the back of the field alongside teammate Valtteri Bottas. As Sunday's race approaches, all eyes remain on Antonelli, who seeks to become the first Italian champion since 1953, with Hamilton and Russell both aiming for victory to keep the championship fight alive until the next race.
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