F1 Mexico City GP live: Hamilton on pole as Antonelli closes on the title

Lewis Hamilton will start the Mexico City Grand Prix from pole position — his first for Ferrari — with George Russell alongside him on the front row. The bigger story, though, sits behind them: Kimi Antonelli needs only a ninth-place finish to become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history.

Why it matters:

A 20-year-old taking the crown would reset the record book, eclipsing Sebastian Vettel's 2010 benchmark and confirming the sharpest generational shift the sport has seen in more than a decade. For Ferrari, Hamilton's pole is the first concrete sign that the Scuderia's long rebuild is finally converting into front-of-grid pace.

The details:

• The front row: Hamilton's first pole in red ends a difficult qualifying run for Ferrari, while Russell's second place keeps Mercedes in the fight and sets up a straight duel into Turn 1.
• The title equation: Ninth is enough for Antonelli no matter what his rivals do. Anything less and the championship rolls on.
• The pressure test: Antonelli has spent the second half of the season protecting a lead rather than chasing one — a very different kind of challenge for a driver in his first real title fight.
• How to follow: RacingNews365 is running live timing and a live blog side by side, with the classification updating automatically while every key moment is logged as it happens.

What's next:

The start is the obvious flashpoint — a long run to the first braking zone has decided plenty of races here. If Antonelli survives the opening laps cleanly and settles into the points, the title is his.

If he doesn't, the championship carries into the closing rounds and the pressure shifts entirely onto his shoulders. Hamilton, meanwhile, has a free swing at a first Ferrari victory with nothing to lose in the standings.