Lewis Hamilton beat George Russell by just 0.009 seconds to take his first Grand Prix pole since 2023 and his first for Ferrari. Leclerc qualified third, while Piastri and Alonso suffered early exits.
Lewis Hamilton ended more than three years without a Grand Prix pole position by beating George Russell by just nine thousandths of a second in Mexico.
Hamilton’s 1:16.514 edged Russell’s 1:16.523 in a qualifying session that put Ferrari and Mercedes at the front, left McLaren with work to do and brought Fernando Alonso’s encouraging weekend to an abrupt halt.
Charles Leclerc finished third, 0.119 seconds behind his Ferrari teammate. Max Verstappen qualified fourth, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli fifth.
A 1,197-day wait ends
Hamilton’s previous Grand Prix pole came at the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 22, 2023. Mexico ended a wait of 1,197 days.
It was his 105th career Grand Prix pole and his first for Ferrari, giving the team its first Grand Prix pole of the season.
The result also followed a difficult Friday for Hamilton, whose second practice session ended early with a power-unit problem. A day later, he delivered the fastest lap when it mattered.
Leclerc’s third place backed up Ferrari’s strong practice pace, putting both cars in the first three qualifying positions.
McLaren’s gamble leaves Piastri 13th
Lando Norris had topped final practice, but qualifying brought a different result. The defending Mexico winner finished sixth, 0.310 seconds off Hamilton’s pole time.
Oscar Piastri suffered the bigger setback.
McLaren attempted to get him through Q2 on used soft tires, preserving a fresh set for the final session. The gamble failed, leaving Piastri 13th and out before the fight for pole began.
Verstappen also encountered Norris during his final Q3 run, compromising the Red Bull driver’s last attempt.
Alonso’s session ends early
Alonso’s Friday optimism did not survive qualifying.
Aston Martin instructed him to stop in the stadium section during Q1, bringing out a red flag. He finished the session 18th, with Lance Stroll also eliminated in 20th.
Alonso later received a driving reprimand for leaving the car without refitting the steering wheel. That ruling did not include a grid penalty.
Williams also struggled, with Carlos Sainz qualifying 16th and Alexander Albon 17th. Both teams now face a difficult route into the points in their constructors’ championship battle.
Racing Bulls gets both cars into Q3
Racing Bulls put both drivers into the final session, with Liam Lawson qualifying eighth and Arvid Lindblad ninth.
They finished behind Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar in seventh, while Pierre Gasly completed the top ten for Alpine.
Nico Hülkenberg and Franco Colapinto narrowly missed the final session in 11th and 12th. Gabriel Bortoleto qualified 14th, with Oliver Bearman 15th.
Ryo Hirakawa finished his first Formula 1 qualifying session in 19th after stepping into Esteban Ocon’s Haas for the remainder of the weekend.
Home favorite Sergio Pérez qualified 21st, ahead of Cadillac teammate Valtteri Bottas.
Grid penalties will change the order
Verstappen’s one-place grid penalty from Friday’s incident with Lawson is set to drop him from fourth to fifth, promoting Antonelli to fourth.
Lawson also carries a one-place penalty from the same incident. Under the current order, that would move Lindblad into eighth and leave Lawson ninth.
Those changes distinguish Saturday’s qualifying results from Sunday’s expected starting grid.
Antonelli still has the title within reach
Antonelli needs to finish ninth or better on Sunday to secure his first World Championship, regardless of where Russell and Hamilton finish.
Hamilton and Russell, meanwhile, enter the race separated by just one point in the fight for second in the standings.
They will begin alongside one another on the front row, with Leclerc immediately behind.
