Lewis Hamilton has secured his first pole position as a Ferrari driver at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, taking the 105th pole of his Formula 1 career and ending the Italian team’s wait of more than a year for another qualifying triumph. The seven-time world champion delivered a sensational final lap of 1:16.514, giving Ferrari its first pole of the 2026 season and providing further encouragement that the development work on the SF-26 is beginning to produce tangible results.
Charles Leclerc completed a strong Saturday for the Maranello team by qualifying third with a 1:16.633, despite making a mistake in the middle sector of his final attempt. Following the encouraging performance in Austin, Ferrari once again demonstrated that its updated car can compete at the front. For Lewis Hamilton, however, the achievement carries particular significance: at the age of 40, the Briton has delivered another reminder of his speed and ability to produce a decisive lap when it matters most.
Ferrari returns to pole as Austin upgrades deliver encouraging results
The road to Lewis Hamilton’s first Ferrari pole was far from straightforward, with both drivers having to negotiate interruptions, traffic and changing track conditions throughout qualifying at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
In Q1, Lewis Hamilton initially recorded a 1:18.249, while Charles Leclerc was unable to complete his attempt before the session was interrupted by a red flag after Fernando Alonso’s car stopped at the side of the circuit. When qualifying resumed, Charles Leclerc improved first to 1:17.532 and then to 1:17.506, while his Ferrari teammate lowered his benchmark to 1:17.341. Both drivers progressed comfortably into Q2.
Charles Leclerc immediately demonstrated the SF-26’s potential in the second qualifying segment, setting an impressive 1:16.944 on a new set of soft tyres. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, encountered difficulties on his opening attempt, which was compromised by a mistake and traffic. After returning to the pits for another fresh set of tyres, the British driver improved to 1:16.953 and secured his place in the final qualifying session.
The decisive turnaround came in Q3. On the opening runs, Charles Leclerc recorded a 1:16.647, while Lewis Hamilton could manage only a 1:17.069. However, the second attempts produced a completely different outcome. Armed with a fresh set of Pirelli C5 tyres, the seven-time world champion put together an exceptional lap to stop the clock at 1:16.514, a substantial improvement that secured pole position.
Charles Leclerc responded with a 1:16.633, but a mistake in the middle sector prevented him from improving further, leaving the Monegasque third on the grid. The differences between the Ferrari drivers’ performances throughout Q1, Q2 and Q3 can also be explored through the F1 qualifying pace and sector comparison.
The result is particularly encouraging following Ferrari’s major SF-26 upgrade package introduced at Austin. The technical direction pursued at Maranello appears to be producing the desired improvements, with the car demonstrating renewed competitiveness and Lewis Hamilton extracting its potential at the most important moment of the weekend.
Although one pole position cannot erase the difficulties encountered during the season, the Mexico result offers concrete evidence that the team’s development efforts are beginning to pay off. After an extended period without a pole position, Ferrari has finally returned to the front of the grid.
Lewis Hamilton celebrates his 105th pole and a childhood Ferrari dream
Following qualifying, Lewis Hamilton made no attempt to hide his delight. Beyond the sporting achievement, the pole carried a deeply personal significance, bringing back memories of his family and the ambition that had followed him since childhood.
“This pole position is such an amazing feeling. First of all, I really want to thank my family, because I wouldn’t be here without them. Today I sent my mum a message at 11:11, because every time I see 11:11 on my phone, I tell myself I have to send her a message. I even have a tattoo of that number.”
The record holder for the most Formula 1 pole positions also explained that he had adopted a different approach to preparing for the Mexican weekend. Rather than following his usual routine, he arrived earlier to review Ferrari’s recent performances and identify areas where changes were needed.
“This weekend, I took a particular approach because I arrived here on Wednesday, which is something I don’t normally do. But I wanted to analyse what we had done in the last few races, what we’d got wrong and how we could put it right. We changed our strategy and worked a little differently this weekend. I think we have this opportunity every weekend, but I hadn’t really been competitive before Q3.”
His achievement also provided an emphatic response to those who had questioned whether he could continue delivering at the highest level as he grew older.
“Now I’ve taken pole position with three different teams, which is pretty phenomenal. And with all the questions people ask about a 40-year-old, whether you’ve still got it. Well, there you go.”
The 105th pole of Lewis Hamilton’s career comes during a challenging season in which his results have frequently fallen short of expectations and his adaptation to Ferrari has required time. Yet the performance in Mexico demonstrated that the speed and precision that made him one of the sport’s most successful qualifiers remain firmly intact.
How Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari put together the decisive Q3 lap
Lewis Hamilton subsequently explained how important it had been to bring every element together during his final qualifying attempt, particularly with changing environmental conditions and track evolution affecting performance.
“Then we managed to get everything right, taking all the factors into account: the wind, the track temperature dropping during the session and how to use that to optimise the tyres’ performance. And finally, taking pole position with Ferrari takes me back to when I was a kid watching Michael Schumacher take pole positions. I’m really happy and grateful to have this opportunity, because it’s a dream I shared with my family. It’s something I always dreamed of as a child when I watched Michael experience it.”
His comments underlined how much the result meant beyond simply adding another pole position to his already remarkable career record.
“105 poles? I don’t think about the number that much, because every pole feels like the first, but it takes me back a few years. For me, it’s like a first time, because after 40 you always think that perhaps you won’t experience these feelings again. And yet, for me, it’s my first pole position with Ferrari, and it’s truly fantastic.”
For Lewis Hamilton, the connection with Michael Schumacher gives the achievement another emotional dimension. The British driver grew up watching the German legend dominate Formula 1 with Ferrari before establishing his own extraordinary career with McLaren and Mercedes. Now, he has finally secured pole position for the very team that inspired his childhood ambitions.
The milestone also adds a new chapter to Ferrari’s Formula 1 driver records and history, bringing together the achievements of drivers who have represented the Maranello team across different eras.
Mexico GP race start could threaten Lewis Hamilton’s pole advantage
Despite the celebrations, Lewis Hamilton is well aware that securing pole position does not guarantee victory in Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix. The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez presents a particular challenge for the driver starting first, thanks to the exceptionally long run from the grid to Turn 1.
That distance gives drivers starting behind the polesitter an opportunity to benefit from the slipstream and launch an attack before the field reaches the first braking zone. Consequently, a strong getaway will be crucial if the Ferrari driver is to preserve his lead through the opening corners.
“The start? Yes, it’s a long way to Turn 1 and it’s going to be very, very difficult. Maybe it’s not the ideal circuit to start from pole position, but Lando, for example, did a great job last year, and I’ll try to do what he did by getting a good start off the grid.”
Lewis Hamilton also revealed that his preparation for the race had been disrupted by an engine problem during Friday’s second practice session. The issue prevented him from completing a proper race simulation, leaving Ferrari with additional work before Sunday’s Grand Prix.
“I’m a little behind in my preparation because I had an engine problem during FP2, which prevented me from doing a proper race simulation. But we’ll work with our engineers to try to find the right approach for tomorrow as well. If we manage to be leading at Turn 1, everything will then depend largely on tyre management. Hopefully, it’ll be one of those exceptional days when everything goes perfectly.”
The interruption during FP2 is particularly relevant because Lewis Hamilton heads into the race without having completed the intended long-run preparation. That makes the team’s remaining analysis and engineering work especially important, with the race strategy, tyre management and start all likely to play significant roles in determining whether the pole position can be converted into a strong result.
Ferrari finds renewed confidence after a difficult 2026 season
Whatever happens in Sunday’s race, the Mexican qualifying session has already delivered a significant achievement for Ferrari. The team has returned to pole position after more than a year, while the progress demonstrated by the SF-26 upgrades in Austin now appears to have translated into improved qualifying performance as well.
For Lewis Hamilton, the result is particularly meaningful after a difficult period adapting to life at Maranello. His performance has shown that he can still compete at the very front, while Charles Leclerc’s third-place qualifying result reinforces the encouraging picture for the Italian team.
There are still questions to answer about Ferrari’s race performance, particularly given the interrupted practice programme and the challenges of the long approach to Turn 1. Nevertheless, the team now has a concrete reason to approach the remainder of the season with greater confidence.
The 105th pole of Lewis Hamilton’s Formula 1 career feels different from those that came before it. Rather than simply extending an extraordinary record, the British driver has finally achieved the first pole position in Ferrari colours that he dreamed of as a child watching Michael Schumacher. Following the questions and expectations of 2025 and the progress made throughout 2026, the breakthrough offers Maranello an important moment of encouragement.
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