Hamilton's first Ferrari pole evokes Schumacher era ahead of Mexico City Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton put Ferrari on pole position for the Mexico City Grand Prix on Saturday, beating George Russell by a razor-thin 0.009 seconds to become the first driver in Formula 1 history to take pole for three different constructors. Charles Leclerc completed an all-Ferrari front row lockout in third.

The result ended a lengthy drought for the 40-year-old, who admitted in the post-qualifying press conference that he had struggled to recall his last pole position. “It’s been a long time since I think I’ve sat in this spot. I don’t really remember the last time I had a pole,” Hamilton said. “And like embarking on this journey with Ferrari and all the challenges and ups and downs we’ve had.”

For Hamilton, the milestone carried a weight that went beyond the stopwatch. He described it as a reward for the faith the Scuderia had placed in him since his high-profile switch from Mercedes, and said it stirred memories of watching Michael Schumacher at his peak. “To have your first Ferrari pole — it just takes me back to watching Michael get all those pole positions when he was with Ferrari, and all those wins. So it’s very, very special.”

Schumacher won five of his seven world championships with Ferrari between 2000 and 2004. Hamilton equalled that record of seven titles in 2020 with Mercedes.

The lap was all the more impressive given the disruption Hamilton suffered on Friday, when his car stopped on track during the second practice session, costing him his planned long run on a high fuel load. He acknowledged the deficit he faced heading into his final qualifying attempt, with Leclerc having posted a time three to four tenths quicker on the first run. “I knew areas that I could improve on,” Hamilton said. “It was a really, really clean lap. I needed it.”

Hamilton has endured a difficult debut season with Ferrari, yet to stand on a grand prix podium in 2025. He arrives in Mexico City sitting third in the drivers’ championship, one point behind Russell, and will start from pole at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for the first time in his career. Sunday’s race represents his clearest opportunity yet to break his Ferrari scoring duck and move ahead of his former Mercedes team-mate in the standings.