Lewis Hamilton, USA News (Mexico): English Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton driving for Ferrari claimed the pole position for the Mexican Grand Prix, marking his first pole with the red car, his first since 2023, and his second in Mexico a decade later. Hamilton surprised competitors at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez ahead of a race where glory awaits Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, who will start in fifth place, while Fernando Alonso experienced another bitter disappointment with Aston Martin.
George Russell of Mercedes secured second place, finishing just 0.009 behind his compatriot as the other driver capable of delaying the mathematical title fight while the runner-up position remains heavily contested among four drivers separated by nine points. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari will start in third place, highlighting the open nature of the grid. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen of Red Bull struggled to find his rhythm in Mexico, pointing toward a challenging Sunday for the five-time winner.
Qualifying Struggles and Grid Positions
For Spanish drivers, the prospect of achieving their best result of the season during practice sessions vanished for a deeply frustrated Alonso. The double world champion received an urgent radio message to stop his car due to a Honda engine failure, leaving the Asturian driver stranded in Q1 despite expectations of battling for Q3. Carlos Sainz narrowly survived the first elimination round to secure a sixteenth-place start, extracting incremental performance from a Williams car heavily focused on development for the 2027 season.
