Hamilton takes first pole for Ferrari at Mexico City Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton has secured his first pole position for Ferrari and his first in over three years at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The seven-time champion outpaced his Mercedes teammate George Russell by just 0.009 seconds in qualifying.

Hamilton's achievement is particularly significant as it marks his first pole since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, a gap of three years and three months. This places him among the older drivers to claim a pole, following the footsteps of Mario Andretti who achieved the feat for Ferrari at the 1982 Italian Grand Prix.

Currently sitting fifth on the grid behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, Kimi Antonelli will start fourth after receiving a one-place penalty. The Finnish driver will need to finish lower than ninth, or Hamilton must win the race and Antonelli must be out of the points, in order to prevent the world title clinch for the Italian.

Hamilton expressed his excitement about the win, stating, "It's been a really challenging weekend - we had the engine issue yesterday, which meant we were on the back foot and didn't do a long run. We've done a really good job on the setup and to have pole here, wow, it feels special. It's my first pole for Ferrari, and 105th, I like that number."