Lewis Hamilton is back on pole position, and this time it is in a Ferrari. He beat George Russell by 0.009 seconds in Mexico City, setting a 1m16.514s lap on his final Q3 run to claim the 105th pole of his Formula 1 career.
Russell had briefly moved ahead with a 1m16.523s, but Hamilton found just enough time to deny Mercedes. Charles Leclerc qualified third in the other Ferrari. Max Verstappen was fourth fastest, though his penalty from Friday drops him behind Kimi Antonelli on the grid. Antonelli starts fourth with a chance to clinch the world title in Sunday’s race.
FP3: Norris beats Antonelli by 0.001s
Saturday’s final practice session belonged to Lando Norris, but only just. His 1m17.600s was one thousandth quicker than Antonelli, who had briefly taken the lead with a 1m17.601s. Leclerc was third, 0.117s back, with Oscar Piastri fourth and Verstappen fifth.
Hamilton was sixth and Russell seventh. Ferrari had looked especially strong on Friday, when Leclerc topped both sessions, but there was little between the leading teams in FP3. Even Verstappen, fifth, was only 0.351s off Norris.
| Position | Driver | Time / gap |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris | 1:17.600 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | +0.001s |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | +0.117s |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | +0.195s |
| 5 | Max Verstappen | +0.351s |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | +0.469s |
| 7 | George Russell | +0.507s |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar | +0.509s |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | +0.513s |
| 10 | Arvid Lindblad | +0.537s |
FP3 top ten: official session classification. Gaps are to Norris’s fastest lap.
Q1: Hamilton fastest as Alonso stops
Hamilton led Q1 with a 1m17.341s. The session was interrupted when Aston Martin instructed Fernando Alonso to stop his car on track, prompting a red flag. A suspected water-pressure problem linked to the energy-recovery system ended Alonso’s qualifying early.
Alex Albon, Ryō Hirakawa, Lance Stroll and Cadillac drivers Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas also went out. Hamilton had lost valuable running when a power-unit problem stopped his Ferrari on Friday, so topping Q1 was a useful start to a session in which he had to make up for missed track time.
Q2: Norris quickest, Piastri out
Norris found another step in Q2, setting a 1m16.728s that nobody could match. Piastri had been fourth in FP3 but struggled for rear grip on a fresh set of soft tyres. He finished 13th in the original Q2 order and missed the final shootout.
Nico Hülkenberg and Franco Colapinto were 11th and 12th, with Gabriel Bortoleto, Oliver Bearman and Carlos Sainz also eliminated. One McLaren was heading into Q3 with a shot at the front row; the other would have to recover from the midfield on Sunday.
Q3: Hamilton’s final lap denies Russell
Leclerc set the first serious Q3 time at 1m16.647s. When the cars returned for the final runs, Russell moved ahead with a 1m16.523s. Hamilton crossed the line moments later in 1m16.514s. Nine thousandths separated them, and there was no time for Russell to answer.
Leclerc improved to 1m16.633s for third, 0.119s behind Hamilton. Verstappen’s 1m16.692s was good enough for fourth in qualifying, although a lock-up at Turn 13 ended his last attempt. Antonelli took fifth on 1m16.707s, just 0.015s behind the Red Bull. The top five were covered by 0.193s.
Norris was sixth ahead of Isack Hadjar, with Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindblad and Pierre Gasly completing the original top ten. It was Hamilton’s first Grand Prix pole since Hungary in 2023. Having finished only sixth in FP3, he made a much bigger step forward in qualifying. Formula 1 has the qualifying highlights and a separate clip of Hamilton completing his pole lap.
Verstappen drops to fifth; Lawson disqualified
Two penalties altered the order after qualifying. Verstappen loses one place for his collision with Lawson in Friday’s FP2 session, promoting Antonelli to fourth on the starting grid. Lawson’s penalty was far more costly.
The Racing Bulls driver had qualified eighth, but his car failed the technical checks governing how quickly MGU-K electrical power must be reduced after a timed lap. The breach occurred immediately after his fastest Q2 lap. Racing Bulls argued that there was no performance advantage, but the stewards disqualified Lawson from qualifying and gave him permission to start from the back.
That puts Lawson 22nd. Valtteri Bottas, who has a 50-place penalty for using additional power-unit components, starts 21st. The FIA’s Mexico City decision documents carry the rulings, while the starting-grid listing reflects the penalties.
| Grid | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 4 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 5 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 7 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull |
| 8 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls |
| 9 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine |
| 10 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi |
| 11 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine |
| 12 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren |
| 13 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi |
| 14 | Oliver Bearman | Haas |
| 15 | Carlos Sainz | Williams |
| 16 | Alex Albon | Williams |
| 17 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin |
| 18 | Ryō Hirakawa | Haas |
| 19 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin |
| 20 | Sergio Pérez | Cadillac |
| 21 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac |
| 22 | Liam Lawson* | Racing Bulls |
Provisional starting grid, FIA Document 60. Lawson was disqualified from qualifying but permitted to race. Any subsequent FIA revision takes precedence.
Antonelli needs ninth place for the title
Antonelli leads Russell by 123 points and Hamilton by 124, with five Grands Prix still to run. Ninth place or better in Mexico would secure the Drivers’ Championship regardless of what either rival manages. He has already won nine races this season, but he does not need another victory to finish the job.
If Antonelli finishes tenth, Russell must win to keep his hopes alive. Hamilton needs to win with Antonelli outside the points. If neither rival takes victory, Antonelli becomes champion even if he scores nothing. The championship permutations leave the Mercedes driver in control, provided he avoids an early setback.
Starting fourth puts Antonelli directly behind the fight for the lead. That is a decent place to begin, but Mexico’s long run to Turn 1 can tempt drivers into ambitious moves. With the championship at stake, keeping the car out of trouble matters more than gaining a place on the opening lap.
Sunday’s race: the long run to Turn 1 and the tyre choice
Hamilton and Russell share the front row, with Leclerc and Antonelli immediately behind. Verstappen starts fifth and Norris sixth. The run from the grid to Turn 1 is long enough for a driver who makes a good start to pick up a slipstream, so Hamilton cannot assume pole will give him the lead into the first corner. Piastri begins his recovery from 12th; home favourite Sergio Pérez starts 20th for Cadillac.
Pirelli sees little difference in overall race time between a one-stop and a two-stop strategy. The one-stop option starts on mediums before switching to softs around laps 35–41. Teams choosing two stops could run soft–medium–soft, gaining fresh rubber but risking time in traffic after each stop.
Saturday’s longer runs showed less graining and tyre wear than Friday’s as the surface gained grip. The hard compound looks a weaker choice unless an early safety car changes the calculations. Mexico City’s altitude also makes cooling harder, particularly for cars running close behind another. Pirelli’s Saturday comments suggest neither strategy is an obvious winner. The choice will depend heavily on tyre wear and where each car rejoins after a stop.
Tech Torque Verdict
Hamilton had a difficult Friday and finished only sixth in FP3, but his last Q3 lap was enough to beat Russell by 0.009s. Leclerc’s third place is useful for Ferrari too. With a car on each side of Russell, the team can put pressure on Mercedes before the field reaches Turn 1.
Russell will not be easy to beat over a race distance, and Verstappen and Norris are close enough to join the fight if the leaders lose time. The tyre strategies are finely balanced, so a good first stint and a clean stop may count for more than a small qualifying advantage.
Antonelli’s target is simpler. He starts fourth, needs ninth and has the championship within reach. He can fight for the podium if the opportunity is there, but he has little reason to risk the title in a first-corner battle.
The 71-lap Mexico City Grand Prix starts at 20:00 GMT on Sunday 1 November. Our race-weekend preview covers the circuit, while Antonelli’s Austin victory explains how he built such a commanding points lead.
