F1 Mexico GP: Lewis Hamilton beats George Russell and Charles Leclerc to pole

Lewis Hamilton has earned Ferrari its first pole of the 2026 Formulation 1 marketing campaign by defeating George Russell in an exciting qualifying shootout for the Mexico Grand Prix.

Russell had taken provisional pole away from Charles Leclerc along with his remaining run on the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, however Hamilton responded with a slightly quicker first sector to take pole by a minuscule 0.009s.

As Hamilton delivered the Scuderia’s first pole of the marketing campaign and his personal first pole for Ferrari, Leclerc may solely discover a slight enchancment on his remaining tour as he conceded 0.119s to his Ferrari team-mate.

Max Verstappen was fourth, slightly below two tenths behind, however will line up in fifth on Sunday. The Dutchman took a one-place grid penalty into qualifying for an on-track altercation with Liam Lawson throughout Friday observe.

After a muted session championship chief Kimi Antonelli was fifth, with the highest 5 was coated by simply two tenths. Within the form of world champion Lando Norris, McLaren additionally seemed like a risk for pole, however Norris wasn’t in a position to nail his first flyer after which bailed out of his second.

An irate Isack Hadjar was seventh for Pink Bull after going off on the low-speed Flip 13, Pink Bull’s Achilles heel this weekend. Lawson was eighth however will transfer right down to ninth for his share within the observe incident with Verstappen. That promoted his Racing Bulls team-mate Arvid Lindblad to eighth, whereas Lawson will line up on the fifth row alongside Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.

George Russell, Mercedes

Picture by: Colin McMaster / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs

In Q2 Hamilton and Piastri have been put below some stress once they bailed out of their first flyers, needing a clear second effort to advance to Q3.

Whereas Hamilton booked a spot within the prime 10 shootout with fourth place in Q2, Piastri wasn’t in a position to observe go well with, with the Australian’s horrid second sector, dropping practically half a second by means of the Esses on account of an absence of rear grip, leaving him eradicated in thirteenth – nine-tenths of a second behind pacesetting team-mate Norris.

Gasly narrowly made the minimize in tenth at Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg’s expense. Within the second Alpine Franco Colapinto managed to remain forward of Piastri to take twelfth, whereas Gabriel Bortoleto went out in 14th.

Haas man Oliver Bearman wasn’t in a position to string a clear lap collectively, dropping his second flyer for monitor limits, and was dumped out in fifteenth with Carlos Sainz the one Williams in Q2 as he took fifteenth.

The Q1 phase was red-flagged with 11 minutes on the clock for Fernando Alonso’s stricken Aston Martin because the Spaniard floor to a halt on the Foro Sol area with an influence unit difficulty.

It was a gut-wrenching exit for the two-time F1 world champion on what was trying like one of many staff’s best circuits, with Alonso’s solely flyer nearly adequate for Q2.

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

Picture by: Manuel Eletto / Getty Photographs

As Hamilton led the best way with a 1m17.341s, Alonso’s time did not survive the take a look at, with the Aston driver joined within the drop zone by Williams driver Alex Albon, who was a tenth slower than his team-mate Sainz who did make the minimize.

Ryo Hirakawa was nineteenth on his grand prix debut, the 32-year-old Toyota WEC driver standings in for the benched Esteban Ocon at Haas. Ocon was dropped by the staff with none additional public rationalization, although it’s believed tensions between the driving force and his staff have hit a breaking level. Ocon has already been changed by Ferrari junior Rafa Camara for 2027.

Lance Stroll was twentieth within the second Aston Martin, adopted by Cadillac duo Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas. Bottas had already been on account of begin final anyway on account of a grid penalty for taking a fifth Ferrari energy unit.

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