Lewis Hamilton rolled back the years on Saturday, delivering a spectacular qualifying performance to claim pole position for the Mexico City race. The Ferrari driver produced a stunning lap of 1:16.647 in Q3, ending a wait of 1,197 days for a pole position in a regular championship race, dating back to Hungary in 2023. George Russell secured second place for Mercedes, while Charles Leclerc completed the top three, giving Ferrari an excellent opportunity to fight for victory on Sunday.
The session had looked very different during practice. Charles Leclerc had dominated both Friday sessions, suggesting Ferrari would be the team to beat, while Lando Norris topped the final practice session ahead of Kimi Antonelli by just one thousandth of a second. Hamilton, however, found another gear when it mattered most. The seven-time world champion delivered when the pressure was highest, turning Ferrari’s promising pace into a memorable pole position.
Mercedes also enjoyed a strong afternoon, with Russell securing a front-row start alongside Hamilton. Leclerc finished third, ensuring Ferrari placed a car in the top three, while Max Verstappen qualified fourth fastest. However, the Dutchman will drop one position following a penalty for his earlier incident with Liam Lawson during practice. This promotes Antonelli to fourth on the starting grid, a particularly valuable position for the championship leader.
McLaren endured a frustrating session. Norris had shown impressive speed in the earlier stages, but could only secure seventh place, while Oscar Piastri suffered an even bigger disappointment, failing to reach Q3 and qualifying thirteenth. Isack Hadjar qualified sixth, ahead of Norris, with Arvid Lindblad, Lawson and Pierre Gasly completing the top ten.
There was also drama at the other end of the field. Fernando Alonso suffered a suspected ERS problem in Q1, bringing his session to an early conclusion and leaving him eighteenth. Carlos Sainz was eliminated in sixteenth, while Ryo Hirakawa, making his debut weekend appearance as Esteban Ocon’s replacement at Haas, qualified nineteenth. Valtteri Bottas will start from the back following an extensive power-unit change.
For Hamilton, however, the spotlight belongs entirely to him. After more than three years without a regular-race pole position, the Briton has finally returned to the top of the qualifying order, and he has done it in front of the passionate Mexican crowd. Yet Sunday could bring an even bigger story: Antonelli is on the verge of securing his first world championship and needs only a ninth-place finish or better if Russell wins. Hamilton has given Ferrari the perfect opportunity to fight for victory, but he could also find himself playing a decisive role in the championship battle. The stage is set for a fascinating Sunday in Mexico.
MiniDrivers – 2026 Mexico – Qualifying
Deja una respuesta