News Summary
- Lewis Hamilton ended a 1,197-day wait for pole position at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, claiming his first pole for Ferrari and 105th in Formula 1.
- At 41 years, 9 months and 24 days old, Hamilton became the fifth-oldest polesitter in F1 history, moving ahead of Nigel Mansell.
- Hamilton is the oldest driver to claim pole since Mansell at the 1994 Australian Grand Prix, ending a wait of almost 32 years for a driver over 40 to lead qualifying.
Lewis Hamilton made Formula 1 history on Saturday (31) by securing his first pole position for Ferrari at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, ending a 1,197-day drought dating back to the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion also became the fifth-oldest driver to claim pole in the World Championship, at 41 years, 9 months and 24 days, after beating George Russell by just 0.009s.
The British driver recorded 1:16.514 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, with Russell second for Mercedes on 1:16.523 and Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc third on 1:16.633. The result took Hamilton’s career total to 105 pole positions, extending his all-time Formula 1 record and giving Ferrari its first Grand Prix pole with the British driver since his arrival in 2025.
Hamilton ends longest pole drought of his F1 career
Hamilton’s previous pole came on July 22, 2023, when he defeated Max Verstappen by just 0.003s during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
That performance was his 104th career pole and his first since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, ending an earlier wait of more than a year and a half.
However, Hamilton was unable to repeat the achievement during the remainder of 2023, throughout 2024 or in his first season with Ferrari in 2025.
His breakthrough in Mexico came 3 years, 3 months and 9 days after Hungary, representing the longest interval between consecutive Grand Prix pole positions of his career.
The achievement was particularly significant after a difficult opening day for Hamilton, whose Friday practice session ended prematurely because of a Ferrari power unit problem.
Leclerc had led both Friday sessions, while Hamilton finished only sixth in FP3, 0.469s behind Lando Norris.
Nevertheless, the seven-time champion found the necessary performance in qualifying, securing pole by the narrowest of margins over his former Mercedes teammate.
Hamilton becomes fifth-oldest polesitter in F1 history
Hamilton’s age adds another historical dimension to his first Ferrari pole.
Born on January 7, 1985, the British driver was 41 years, 9 months and 24 days old when he topped qualifying in Mexico City.
That places him fifth on the list of the oldest drivers to claim a World Championship Grand Prix pole position, ahead of Nigel Mansell, who was 41 years and three months old when he qualified fastest for the 1994 Australian Grand Prix.
Hamilton is also the first driver over 40 to take pole since Mansell’s achievement at Adelaide in November 1994.
The outright record belongs to Giuseppe Farina, who claimed pole for the 1954 Argentine Grand Prix at the age of 47.
Juan Manuel Fangio follows in second, having secured pole in Argentina in 1958 at 46, while Jack Brabham and Mario Andretti complete the top four.
Oldest Formula 1 polesitters in World Championship history
| Rank | Driver | Grand Prix | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G. FARINA | Argentina 1954 | 47 years, 2 months, 18 days |
| 2 | J. M. FANGIO | Argentina 1958 | 46 years, 6 months, 26 days |
| 3 | J. BRABHAM | Spain 1970 | 44 years, 0 months, 17 days |
| 4 | M. ANDRETTI | Italy 1982 | 42 years, 6 months, 15 days |
| 5 | L. HAMILTON | Mexico City 2026 | 41 years, 9 months, 24 days |
| 6 | N. MANSELL | Australia 1994 | 41 years, 3 months, 5 days |
| 7 | C. REUTEMANN | Caesars Palace 1981 | 39 years, 6 months, 5 days |
| 8 | G. HILL | Britain 1968 | 39 years, 5 months, 5 days |
| 9 | K. RÄIKKÖNEN | Italy 2018 | 38 years, 10 months, 16 days |
| 10 | A. PROST | Japan 1993 | 38 years, 8 months, 0 days |
Ranking by driver, using each driver’s oldest Grand Prix pole. Indianapolis 500-only results from 1950–1960 are excluded. Historical ages follow race-weekend statistical conventions; Hamilton’s age is calculated on qualifying day.
First Ferrari pole takes Hamilton to 105 career poles
Hamilton’s Mexico performance also extends his position as Formula 1’s most successful qualifier.
The British driver now has 105 career pole positions, 37 more than Michael Schumacher, who remains second on the all-time list with 68.
Ayrton Senna occupies third with 65, followed by Sebastian Vettel on 57 and Max Verstappen on 50.
Hamilton’s pole record spans three manufacturers. He claimed 26 poles with McLaren between 2007 and 2012, added 78 with Mercedes between 2013 and 2024, and has now secured his first with Ferrari.
Hamilton’s F1 pole positions by constructor
| Constructor | Pole positions |
|---|---|
| Mercedes | 78 |
| McLaren | 26 |
| Ferrari | 1 |
| Total | 105 |
Mexico City is also a familiar venue for Hamilton, who previously claimed pole there in 2016 while driving for Mercedes.
The 2026 result therefore represents his second pole at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, ten years after his first.
Hamilton’s milestone comes as Antonelli closes in on F1 title
Hamilton’s historic performance came during a championship weekend dominated by the possibility of Andrea Kimi Antonelli securing his first Formula 1 world title.
The Mercedes driver arrived in Mexico with a 123-point championship advantage, having won the United States Grand Prix at Austin the previous weekend.
Antonelli qualified fifth, behind Hamilton, Russell, Leclerc and Verstappen, and needs to finish ninth or higher on Sunday to guarantee the title regardless of his rivals’ results.
The result also confirmed Ferrari’s competitiveness after Leclerc topped Friday practice and emerged among the favourites for pole.
Hamilton’s pole places him at the front of Sunday’s 71-lap race, although the final starting order remains subject to the application of FIA penalties.
Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson received one-place grid penalties following their collision during FP2, while Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas faces a 50-place penalty for exceeding his power unit allocation.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend, with breaking news, full coverage and real-time updates in its Formula 1 section.
