--- title: "Formula 1: Hamilton in Ferrari Claims Dramatic Mexico Pole by 0.009 Seconds" description: "Lewis Hamilton secured pole position for Ferrari at the Mexico Grand Prix, edging out George Russell by 0.009 seconds. We break down the dramatic qualifying, penalties, and championship title permutations." date: 2026-11-01T08:42:19.387Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/f1-hamilton-mexico-gp-pole-2026 tags: [formula-1, lewis-hamilton, ferrari, mexico-gp, qualification, max-verstappen, charles-leclerc] author: "Inna Kinsheva" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Formula 1: Hamilton in Ferrari Claims Dramatic Mexico Pole by 0.009 Seconds ![A Ferrari Formula 1 racing car with red bodywork and a yellow driver helmet on track](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/01/f1-hamilton-pole-mexico-gp-2026/f1-hamilton-pole-mexico-gp-2026-1.webp) ## Key Points - Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) claimed pole in Mexico with a 1:16.514 — his 105th career pole and first with the Italian team. - Hamilton beat George Russell (Mercedes) by 0.009 seconds, with Charles Leclerc finishing third (+0.119s). - Max Verstappen drops a position to Andrea Kimi Antonelli due to a penalty; Antonelli needs a 9th-place finish to secure the title. - Liam Lawson's lap time was deleted, forcing him to start last, while Oscar Piastri missed out on Q3 in 13th. The Formula 1 Mexico Grand Prix qualifying session delivered a truly dramatic finale to fans. Lewis Hamilton secured the top spot on the starting grid, beating his rivals by a mere thousandth of a second. The Ferrari driver set the fastest time at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez with a 1:16.514, earning him the 105th pole of his career—his first since the summer of 2023 and his debut in Italian team colors. ### Pole by Thousandths of a Second The fate of first place was decided in a showdown with George Russell. The Mercedes representative lagged behind Hamilton by just 0.009 seconds, making the final stretch of the session one of the most intense of the season. Another driver in red, Charles Leclerc, finished third, 0.119 seconds back, ensuring both Ferrari cars locked out the front row of the grid. ### Title Race and Grid Shake-ups Max Verstappen set the fourth-fastest time, but due to a penalty, he will cede his position to Andrea Kimi Antonelli. This weekend holds special significance for the young Mercedes driver: on Sunday, a ninth-place finish is enough to secure his championship title. Consequently, the starting order for the race will differ from the pure qualifying results. ### Setbacks and Deleted Lap Time Qualifying was also marked by a setback for McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who failed to break into Q3 and ended up in 13th place. Shortly after the session ended, the stewards revised the starting lineup: Liam Lawson's time from Racing Bulls was deleted due to inefficient MGU-K power deployment at the end of his flying lap, meaning he will start the race from the back of the grid. ### Sunday's Race The main Mexico Grand Prix race will take place on Sunday, November 1, at 22:00 Kyiv time. The 0.009-second gap between Hamilton and Russell, the grid penalties, and Antonelli's title fight promise to make this race one of the highlights of the calendar. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Формула-1: Хэмилтон выиграл максимально напряженную квалификацию в Мексике](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/othersport/formula-1-hemilton-vigrav-maksimalno-napruzhenu-1793522110.html) - Primary source: Hamilton's time 1:16.514, Russell's gap 0.009s, Leclerc +0.119s, Verstappen penalty, Lawson's deleted lap, Piastri 13th place, race time 22:00 Kyiv time. ## FAQ ### Who took pole position at the Mexico Grand Prix? Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari with a 1:16.514, beating George Russell by 0.009 seconds. ### How many career poles does Hamilton have now? 105 in his career, his first since the summer of 2023, and his first with Ferrari. ### What happened to Liam Lawson? His lap time was deleted due to inefficient MGU-K power deployment at the end of his flying lap, causing him to start from the last position. ### When does the main race take place? On Sunday, November 1, at 22:00 Kyiv time.