Lewis Hamilton will lead the field into Sunday’s (November 1) Mexico City Grand Prix after securing his first pole position for Ferrari with a lap of 1:16.514 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion will share the front row with former Mercedes teammate George Russell, while Charles Leclerc starts third and championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli moves up to fourth following Max Verstappen’s grid penalty.
The starting order has been affected by sanctions imposed during the weekend, including one-place penalties for Verstappen and Liam Lawson following their collision in Friday practice, as well as a 50-place penalty for Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas.
Hamilton leads Ferrari challenge as Antonelli moves to fourth
Hamilton ended a 1,197-day wait for pole position by beating Russell by just 0.009s in Saturday’s qualifying session.
The Ferrari driver recorded 1:16.514, with Russell setting 1:16.523 and Leclerc finishing third on 1:16.633.
The result gave Hamilton his 105th career pole and made him the fifth-oldest polesitter in Formula 1 history.
Verstappen was fourth fastest in qualifying, ahead of Antonelli, but the Dutchman’s one-place grid penalty promotes the Mercedes driver to fourth.
Antonelli enters Sunday’s race with an opportunity to become Formula 1’s youngest world champion. The Italian needs to finish ninth or higher to guarantee the 2026 Drivers’ Championship regardless of his rivals’ results.
McLaren’s Lando Norris starts sixth after leading final practice, while teammate Oscar Piastri faces a more difficult race from 13th following his unexpected Q2 elimination.
Verstappen, Lawson and Bottas face grid penalties
Verstappen and Lawson received one-place grid penalties after colliding during Friday’s FP2 in the stadium section.
The FIA held both drivers responsible for unnecessary manoeuvres, also assigning one super licence penalty point to each.
The sanctions leave Verstappen fifth and Lawson ninth, with Arvid Lindblad promoted to eighth.
Cadillac’s Bottas faces the largest sanction of the weekend after receiving a cumulative 50-place grid penalty.
The Finn is listed 22nd, at the back of the field.
Gabriel Bortoleto qualified 14th for Audi and has no confirmed five-place grid penalty. His position has therefore been preserved in the classification below.
Mexican GP 2026 — Full starting grid
| Pos. | Driver | Team / Engine | Qualifying time | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L. HAMILTON | Ferrari | 1:16.514 | — |
| 2 | G. RUSSELL | Mercedes | 1:16.523 | — |
| 3 | C. LECLERC | Ferrari | 1:16.633 | — |
| 4 | A. K. ANTONELLI | Mercedes | 1:16.707 | — |
| 5 | M. VERSTAPPEN | Red Bull RBPT Ford | 1:16.692 | +1 |
| 6 | L. NORRIS | McLaren Mercedes | 1:16.824 | — |
| 7 | I. HADJAR | Red Bull RBPT Ford | 1:16.900 | — |
| 8 | A. LINDBLAD | Racing Bulls RBPT Ford | 1:17.117 | — |
| 9 | L. LAWSON | Racing Bulls RBPT Ford | 1:17.029 | +1 |
| 10 | P. GASLY | Alpine Mercedes | 1:17.153 | — |
| 11 | N. HÜLKENBERG | Audi | 1:17.306 | — |
| 12 | F. COLAPINTO | Alpine Mercedes | 1:17.640 | — |
| 13 | O. PIASTRI | McLaren Mercedes | 1:17.646 | — |
| 14 | G. BORTOLETO | Audi | 1:17.680 | — |
| 15 | O. BEARMAN | Haas Ferrari | 1:18.083 | — |
| 16 | C. SAINZ | Williams Mercedes | 1:18.885 | — |
| 17 | A. ALBON | Williams Mercedes | 1:18.905 | — |
| 18 | F. ALONSO | Aston Martin Honda | 1:18.908 | — |
| 19 | R. HIRAKAWA | Haas Ferrari | 1:18.858 | — |
| 20 | L. STROLL | Aston Martin Honda | 1:19.072 | — |
| 21 | S. PÉREZ | Cadillac Ferrari | 1:19.105 | — |
| 22 | V. BOTTAS | Cadillac Ferrari | 1:20.401 | +50 |
The table reflects the supplied qualifying order with the confirmed one-place penalties incorporated. Times come from different qualifying segments and are not directly comparable across Q1, Q2 and Q3. The final FIA starting grid remains authoritative if additional changes are announced.
Hirakawa prepares for F1 debut as Alonso’s participation remains uncertain
Ryō Hirakawa qualified 19th for Haas after unexpectedly replacing Esteban Ocon during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend.
The Japanese driver is preparing for his first Formula 1 Grand Prix start at the age of 32, having previously competed in endurance racing with Toyota.
Haas removed Ocon after a disagreement within the team, with the Frenchman subsequently denying allegations of physical violence.
Fernando Alonso is listed 18th, although his participation remains uncertain after an ERS-related water-pressure problem forced him to stop during Q1.
Alonso’s qualifying session ended with a red flag, and the Spaniard subsequently suggested he might travel directly to Brazil rather than compete on Sunday.
Aston Martin has not formally confirmed his withdrawal.
When does the Mexican Grand Prix start?
The 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, November 1, at 14:00 local time, corresponding to 20:00 GMT in the United Kingdom.
The race is scheduled for 71 laps of the 4.304km Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
For viewers in the United States and Canada, the race begins at 15:00 EST on the East Coast and 12:00 PST on the West Coast.
Australian and New Zealand viewers will watch the race on Monday morning, with the start scheduled for 07:00 AEDT in Sydney and Melbourne and 09:00 NZDT in Auckland.
The complete Australian and New Zealand start-time guide provides the local schedule.
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.
