Lewis Hamilton has claimed his first pole position as a Ferrari driver at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, ending a three-year wait to start a Formula 1 race from the front of the grid. The seven-time world champion secured the 105th pole of his career, while teammate Charles Leclerc was left furious after a mistake on his final Q3 lap cost him the chance to challenge for the top spot.
For Lewis Hamilton, the result represents a particularly emotional milestone after a difficult first season with Ferrari in 2025. However, the celebrations on one side of the garage contrasted sharply with the frustration on the other, as Charles Leclerc qualified third despite having the potential to complete an all-Ferrari front row.
Lewis Hamilton celebrates first Ferrari pole position after three-year wait
Lewis Hamilton is back on pole. The British driver delivered the fastest lap in qualifying at the Mexico City Grand Prix to take his career tally to 105 pole positions, his first since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix and, crucially, his first since joining Ferrari.
It is an especially significant achievement for the seven-time world champion, who is finally enjoying the Ferrari firsts that eluded him during his extremely challenging 2025 campaign. His breakthrough in Mexico adds another important moment to his second season in red.
After race engineer Carlo Santi confirmed the result over team radio, Lewis Hamilton responded with a mixture of joy, relief and gratitude. The British driver thanked the Ferrari personnel who have continued to support him throughout his two seasons with the team.
“Aaah! Thank you so much! It’s taken such a long time… Great job, guys! I’m really grateful for the effort you’ve put in,” the driver of car number 44 said over the radio. “I hope you’re proud of yourselves too. We have to keep pushing. We’re on the right track. Woo! What a great feeling.”
Charles Leclerc furious after costly mistake in Mexico GP qualifying
While Lewis Hamilton celebrated his landmark pole position, Charles Leclerc experienced a very different conclusion to qualifying. The Monegasque driver finished third in Q3 after making an error on his final flying lap, missing what appeared to be a strong opportunity to secure a Ferrari front-row lockout and potentially challenge for pole himself.
Charles Leclerc made no attempt to hide his disappointment over the radio, directing his frustration towards both his own lap and the way the final qualifying attempt had been managed.
“What a really s*** lap,” the Ferrari driver complained. “The car was quite different compared to the usual out-lap. Lewis did a good job, but I’m really p***ed off with how we managed the situation,” Charles Leclerc added.
The result leaves Ferrari with contrasting emotions heading into the Mexico City Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton has finally secured a landmark first pole for the Italian team, while Charles Leclerc must settle for third on the grid after a qualifying session that promised more.
The two Ferrari drivers’ qualifying performances can also be explored through the F1 qualifying pace and sector comparison, which provides a closer look at qualifying gaps and sector times.
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