Lewis Hamilton produced a stunning qualifying lap to claim his first pole position for Ferrari at the Mexico City Grand Prix, offering proof that the seven-time champion still has plenty of fight left even as teenage rival Kimi Antonelli edges closer to the title.

The 41-year-old beat Mercedes' George Russell to top spot by just nine-thousandths of a second, with Antonelli qualifying fourth — a result that keeps the young Mercedes driver firmly on course to be crowned champion on Sunday. Hamilton and Russell will share the front row, though both must win the race to keep their title hopes alive.

It marked a deeply emotional occasion for Hamilton at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, securing the 105th pole of his career and his first since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix — also Ferrari's first since Budapest last year. "Thank you so much, that's been such a long time coming," Hamilton said. "My first pole with Ferrari. 105 poles, I like that number." He added that despite the physical demands of the sport, "love is not gone" for what he does, crediting his fitness regime for keeping him sharp.

The pole comes on the back of Hamilton's maiden Ferrari win in Barcelona, following a tough debut season with the Scuderia, and is only his second pole in Mexico since 2016.

Charles Leclerc qualified third for Ferrari, with Max Verstappen fourth on track but facing a one-place grid penalty following a practice incident with Liam Lawson, who also received a penalty. Lando Norris took sixth for McLaren, while teammate Oscar Piastri was eliminated in Q2, finishing 13th after struggling with rear grip.

Antonelli, 123 points clear of Russell and 124 ahead of Hamilton, would seal the championship with a top-nine finish on Sunday even if one of his rivals wins. Victory for the Italian would make him F1's youngest-ever champion at 20, and the first Italian title winner since Alberto Ascari in 1953.

Elsewhere, Haas driver Esteban Ocon addressed reports of a bust-up with his team after being unexpectedly dropped from the race weekend and replaced by Japanese endurance ace Ryo Hirakawa, who will make his F1 debut. Ocon, who will be replaced next season by Ferrari junior Rafael Câmara, confirmed a heated disagreement took place following a tense exchange with his race engineer in Friday practice, but strongly denied claims that it turned physical, saying he "condemns violence in all its forms."

Source: The Guardian

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