Lewis Hamilton Returns to Pole Position After Three Years; Kimi Antonelli on the Second Row
Lewis Hamilton has claimed pole position for the Mexico City Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion clocked a time of 1’16″514, securing the top spot on the grid by a very narrow margin over George Russell, who was second by just nine thousandths of a second.
The second row will be occupied by the other Ferrari driven by Charles Leclerc, who finished third, 119 thousandths behind the leader, and by Kimi Antonelli. Behind them will be Max Verstappen, who set the fourth-fastest time but was moved back one position due to a penalty, and Lando Norris in the McLaren.
The fourth row will feature Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) and Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls), who takes the place of his teammate Liam Lawson, who was also penalized one position. Lawson will start from the fifth row alongside Pierre Gasly (Alpine).
The sixth row goes to Nico Hülkenberg, the first driver eliminated at the end of Q2 in his Audi, and Franco Colapinto in the other Alpine. It was a disappointment for Oscar Piastri, who failed to make the top ten and will be forced to start from the seventh row, alongside Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi).
The eighth row will feature Oliver Bearman, behind the wheel of the Ferrari-powered Haas, and Carlos Sainz in the Williams-Mercedes.
The first driver eliminated in Q1 was Alexander Albon, who will start from the ninth row alongside Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard was sidelined in the opening minutes of the session by a problem with the Honda power unit in his McLaren. It was a major disappointment for the two-time world champion, who had even been aiming for a spot in the top ten.
Starting from the tenth row will be Japan’s Ryo Hirakawa, making his debut in the Haas-Ferrari in place of the sidelined Esteban Ocon, and Lance Stroll in the Aston Martin.
At the back of the grid, in the eleventh and final row, will be the two Cadillac-Ferraris. There is great anticipation for Sergio Perez, who is celebrating his 300th career Grand Prix right in front of his home crowd. Starting alongside him will be his teammate Valtteri Bottas, who has been heavily penalized.
