Hamilton grabs 105th F1 pole in Mexico as Antonelli needs ninth place By Luís Henrique Costa
4 min read
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Lewis Hamilton will start from pole position at the Mexico City Grand Prix on November 1, 2026, at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. It is the 105th pole of his career and his first for Ferrari, ending a wait of 1,197 days since his last one at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion edged George Russell by 0.009 seconds in qualifying on October 31.
Kimi Antonelli, of Mercedes, starts fourth and needs only a ninth-place finish to become Formula 1‘s youngest world champion. Charles Leclerc, of Ferrari, starts third, while Russell and Hamilton are the only drivers still able to catch the Italian on points.
The distance between the grid slots and the first braking zone in Mexico City is one of the longest on the Formula 1 calendar. Because of that space, the driver out front is exposed to the slipstream of the cars behind, which reach higher top speeds before braking.
Track-limit rules that could send drivers back at Turn 1
The FIA race direction set strict rules for the opening metres of the race. Stewards decided that every driver will be treated as being in a simultaneous attack and defence move on the approach to Turn 1.
Any driver who cuts a corner or runs wide through the run-off areas between Turns 1 and 3 must give back the position gained by the entry of Turn 4. Drivers who exceed the track limits between Turns 3 and 6 must restore their original places before the approach to Turn 12.
- 1st: Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 1:16.514, pole
- 2nd: George Russell (Mercedes), 1:16.523, 0.009 seconds behind
- 3rd: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 1:16.633, 0.119 seconds behind
- 4th: Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 1:16.707, 0.193 seconds behind
- 5th: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing), 1:16.692, 0.178 seconds behind, after a one-place penalty
- 6th: Lando Norris (McLaren), 0.310 seconds behind
- 13th: Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
The race starts at 17h Brasília time, which is 14h local time in Mexico City. Brazilian viewers can follow the race on the national broadcast and on the official Formula 1 streaming channels.
Verstappen lost one grid place after a collision in Friday practice, which moved Antonelli up to fourth. Valtteri Bottas, of Cadillac, received a 50-place penalty after power unit changes, and Liam Lawson was disqualified from qualifying.
Thin air above 2,200 metres and wear on brakes and tyres
Mexico City sits more than 2,200 metres above sea level, and the thin air reduces cooling for the engines and the hydraulic brake system. It also cuts aerodynamic grip in the fast corners in the middle of the circuit.
Because of the lower cooling, cars cannot follow each other closely for many laps. When one car sits behind another, the temperature of the brake fluid and calipers climbs within seconds, which forces the chasing driver to back off and open a gap.
Repeated attacks and retreats speed up the wear on the tyres from the single supplier. Each failed overtaking attempt costs tyre life, so passes in Mexico City demand full commitment.
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Hamilton’s Friday engine failure leaves gaps in his data
Hamilton enters the race with a major gap in telemetry compared with his main rivals. An engine failure on his car early in the race simulation session on Friday (30) cut his run short.
His preparation ended early, just as he began collecting wear and fuel consumption data. Ferrari has no detailed records on how the suspension and the front-wing balance behave with a full fuel tank.
The team at Maranello used computer projections to set the starting pressure and the rear differential map. Hamilton said he will have to rely on his own feel to manage the pace through the tighter sections, hoping Ferrari’s straight-line speed holds off Mercedes near the Foro Sol stadium.
McLaren showed strong race pace all weekend but struggled to find pure speed on new tyres over a single lap. Norris secured sixth place, while Oscar Piastri will start outside the top ten and try to recover through the midfield.
Antonelli recovers from flu with a 123-point lead
Antonelli has recovered from a recent flu that left him with physical fatigue from the eve of qualifying. He took a long rest to rebuild his muscle endurance before the 71 laps in Mexico City.
Antonelli leads the championship with 365 points, 123 ahead of Russell and 124 ahead of Hamilton. Only those two drivers can still mathematically catch him, and a ninth place secures the title whatever they do.
Mercedes has been consistent all season, which gives the leader technical confidence. If Antonelli avoids the first-corner collisions, he can clinch the title before the championship moves to the Autódromo de Interlagos in São Paulo, the next round on the calendar.
