Hamilton Ends Three-Year Pole Drought with Stunning Mexico City Qualifying Performance

Formula One Magazine | 31 October 2026

By Open Chronicle Sports

Lewis Hamilton delivered a landmark qualifying performance at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, securing his first Formula One pole position since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix and ending a drought of more than three years.

The seven-time world champion produced a decisive lap of 1:16.514 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, beating Mercedes driver George Russell by just 0.009 seconds in one of the closest qualifying battles of the season.

Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc qualified third, only 0.119 seconds behind, while Max Verstappen secured fourth for Red Bull Racing. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli completed the top five, ahead of Lando Norris.

The result capped an unpredictable qualifying session in which Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull all demonstrated the potential to fight for pole position.

It also delivered a significant moment in Hamilton’s Ferrari career, with the British driver converting the team’s strong weekend pace into a front-row starting position for Sunday’s race.

Hamilton’s Long Wait Finally Ends

Hamilton’s previous Formula One pole position came at the Hungarian Grand Prix in July 2023.

Since then, the British driver had endured an extended period without topping a Grand Prix qualifying session, despite remaining one of the most accomplished qualifiers in the sport’s history.

Mexico City provided the breakthrough.

Ferrari arrived at qualifying with encouraging data after Leclerc topped both Friday practice sessions. Although Norris had led FP3 by just 0.001 seconds from Antonelli, the Italian team’s underlying performance remained strong.

Hamilton had experienced technical difficulties during Friday’s second practice session, limiting his running and complicating preparations.

However, those setbacks did not prevent him from delivering when it mattered most.

His final Q3 lap combined speed and precision across the Mexican circuit’s demanding sectors, leaving Russell just nine thousandths of a second short.

The achievement represented more than another pole position. It was a statement that Hamilton could still deliver the exceptional single-lap performance that has defined much of his career.

Q1: Hamilton Leads as Alonso’s Stoppage Interrupts the Session

The opening qualifying segment began with drivers searching for grip on the resurfaced Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Nico Hülkenberg established an early benchmark for Audi, while teammate Gabriel Bortoleto completed his first representative lap after a weekend severely disrupted by technical problems.

Fernando Alonso briefly moved to the top of the classification with a 1:18.908 before receiving instructions from Aston Martin to stop his car.

The Spaniard questioned the instruction, apparently unaware of a serious problem, but the team insisted that he pull over.

His Aston Martin stopped near Turn 14, triggering a red flag with approximately eleven minutes remaining.

The interruption affected several drivers preparing competitive laps, including Leclerc, Verstappen and both Audi competitors.

When the session resumed, teams faced a compressed schedule as drivers attempted to secure progression into Q2.

Leclerc initially established a strong benchmark with a 1:17.532, but Hamilton responded with a 1:17.341 to take first place.

Isack Hadjar delivered an impressive performance for Red Bull, finishing second in the segment with a 1:17.385.

Bortoleto also produced an encouraging recovery.

Despite his limited practice mileage, the Brazilian recorded a 1:17.727 and progressed comfortably into Q2, finishing sixth in the opening segment.

Hamilton led Q1 ahead of Hadjar, Leclerc, Oscar Piastri and Russell.

The six drivers eliminated were Alexander Albon, Alonso, Ryō Hirakawa, Lance Stroll, Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas.

Q2: Norris Sets the Pace as Piastri Suffers Shock Elimination

The second segment brought another significant shift in the competitive order.

Leclerc initially established a formidable 1:16.944, confirming Ferrari’s strong qualifying performance.

Verstappen then moved ahead with a 1:16.876, demonstrating that Red Bull remained capable of challenging the leading teams.

Arvid Lindblad also impressed, temporarily climbing to second place during the opening runs.

Hamilton briefly found himself under pressure near the elimination zone before responding with a 1:16.953 to secure his progression.

Meanwhile, Norris produced the fastest lap of Q2, recording a 1:16.728 and finishing ahead of Verstappen and Leclerc.

However, the most surprising development concerned his McLaren teammate.

Piastri struggled with rear-end grip throughout the segment and could manage only a 1:17.646.

That left the Australian thirteenth, eliminating him before the final pole position shootout.

The result was particularly disappointing after Piastri had finished fourth in FP3, suggesting that McLaren possessed sufficient pace to challenge near the front.

His elimination created a sharp contrast with Norris, who advanced to Q3 as the fastest driver.

Audi also narrowly missed out on a place in the final segment.

Hülkenberg finished eleventh, while Bortoleto qualified fourteenth with a 1:17.680.

The Brazilian’s result represented a recovery from his disrupted practice programme, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit created by limited track time.

Q3: Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull Fight for Pole

The final ten drivers began Q3 on fresh soft tyres, with the expectation of an exceptionally close battle.

Hamilton established an early reference with a 1:17.069 before Leclerc delivered a substantially faster lap of 1:16.647.

The Monegasque driver appeared well positioned to secure pole, particularly after producing a strong middle sector.

Verstappen responded with a 1:16.692, moving within 0.045 seconds of Leclerc.

Norris also entered the battle, recording a 1:16.824, although the McLaren driver could not match Ferrari’s initial benchmark.

Antonelli, meanwhile, struggled to produce an equally competitive opening attempt.

With the first runs completed, teams returned to their garages for final tyre preparation and setup adjustments.

The decisive moments came in the closing minutes.

Russell improved significantly, finding enough time to move ahead of Leclerc and temporarily claim the fastest lap.

Hamilton then produced the performance that would define the session.

His 1:16.514 placed him 0.009 seconds ahead of Russell and established a new benchmark that none of the remaining drivers could beat.

Leclerc improved to 1:16.633 but remained third.

Verstappen was unable to complete a faster final attempt after making a mistake in the last sector, while Antonelli improved to 1:16.707, securing fifth.

Norris finished sixth, ahead of Hadjar, Liam Lawson, Lindblad and Pierre Gasly.

Hamilton had secured pole position for the Mexican Grand Prix.

Ferrari Secures a Major Advantage for Sunday’s Race

Ferrari emerged from qualifying with two cars among the top three.

Hamilton’s pole position and Leclerc’s third place demonstrated the strength of the Italian team’s package around the high-altitude Mexican circuit.

The result also offered Ferrari strategic opportunities for Sunday’s Grand Prix.

With Hamilton starting from the front and Leclerc directly behind Russell, the team could potentially apply pressure to Mercedes during the opening phase.

However, the extraordinarily narrow qualifying margins suggest that race pace, tyre management and pit stop strategy could prove decisive.

Russell’s performance also confirmed Mercedes as a major threat.

The British driver missed pole by less than one hundredth of a second, demonstrating that the team’s car was capable of matching Ferrari over a single lap.

Antonelli’s fifth place places the championship leader in a competitive position, although he faces several direct rivals ahead of him on the grid.

Verstappen Remains in Contention Despite Final-Lap Error

Verstappen qualified fourth, just 0.178 seconds behind Hamilton.

The Red Bull driver had demonstrated strong pace during Q2 and appeared capable of challenging for pole in the final segment.

However, an error in the final sector of his last attempt prevented him from improving on his earlier time.

Despite that disappointment, Verstappen remains close enough to the leading cars to influence Sunday’s race.

Hadjar’s seventh place also strengthened Red Bull’s overall qualifying performance.

The team will nevertheless need to account for the one-place grid penalty reported for Verstappen following an incident involving Lawson during Friday’s second practice session.

The final starting order will therefore depend on the official application of outstanding penalties.

Bortoleto Recovers from Technical Problems but Faces Grid Penalty

Gabriel Bortoleto entered qualifying with one of the most difficult preparation programmes of the entire field.

The Audi driver had missed FP1 while reserve driver Freddie Slater occupied his car, then suffered extensive technical problems during FP2.

Further mechanical issues prevented him from completing a meaningful programme in FP3.

Despite those difficulties, Bortoleto progressed through Q1 and eventually secured fourteenth place in qualifying.

His best Q2 lap of 1:17.680 left him 0.093 seconds behind Piastri and 0.473 seconds behind Lawson’s time.

The result demonstrated a degree of recovery after a frustrating weekend, although Bortoleto will face an additional setback.

The Brazilian received a five-place grid penalty following changes to power unit components.

Consequently, his starting position is expected to be lower than his qualifying classification, subject to confirmation of the final grid.

Hülkenberg finished eleventh, narrowly missing Q3, giving Audi two cars within the top fourteen on raw qualifying performance.

Haas Makes an Unusual Driver Substitution

Another notable storyline concerned Haas.

Ryō Hirakawa participated in qualifying after the team announced that he would replace Esteban Ocon for the remainder of the weekend.

The Japanese driver had already completed running during FP1 and FP3 but faced his first Formula One qualifying appearance in Mexico City.

Hirakawa finished nineteenth, ahead of both Cadillac drivers.

The change introduced an additional variable for Haas as the team prepared for Sunday’s race.

Mexico City Grand Prix 2026: Qualifying Classification

Provisional qualifying order, before the application of outstanding grid penalties.

Note: The supplied classification places Carlos Sainz ahead of Alexander Albon despite Albon having a faster listed lap. The positions above preserve the supplied order pending official confirmation. Times for drivers eliminated in earlier qualifying segments are not directly comparable with Q3 performances.

Championship Implications: Antonelli Approaches a Defining Sunday

The Mexico City Grand Prix could also have major consequences for the 2026 Drivers’ Championship.

Antonelli arrived with 365 points, comfortably ahead of Russell on 242 and Hamilton on 241.

Hamilton’s pole provides an opportunity to strengthen his position in the standings, while Russell’s front-row start creates a direct contest between two of Antonelli’s closest challengers.

However, Antonelli remains in control of the championship situation. His fifth-place qualifying result does not prevent him from potentially securing the title in Mexico, depending on Sunday’s results.

The 71-lap race will test whether Ferrari can maintain its qualifying advantage over a full Grand Prix distance.

Hamilton’s first priority will be converting pole position into a strong start, particularly with Russell alongside him and Leclerc immediately behind.

For Ferrari, a victory would represent another important milestone in its 2026 campaign. For Hamilton, it would provide a fitting conclusion to a weekend already defined by the end of his qualifying drought.

And for Formula One, Mexico City has delivered another reminder that even the smallest margins can produce moments of considerable historical significance.