Hamilton Backed to Turn Ferrari Pole Into Mexico City Victory

Lewis Hamilton’s first Ferrari pole has been met with a clear vote of confidence ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix, with the 41-year-old backed to turn his narrow qualifying edge into a maiden victory for the Scuderia. Hamilton beat former Mercedes team-mate George Russell by just nine thousandths of a second at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, securing his first pole since Hungary 2023 and becoming F1’s oldest polesitter since Mario Andretti in 1982.

Why it matters:

Hamilton’s pace in Q3 suggests Ferrari’s recent upgrades have unlocked genuine one-lap performance, but converting pole into a win is a different challenge. The poll reflects both the emotional pull of a Hamilton-Ferrari victory and the lingering threat from Max Verstappen, who starts fifth after a one-place grid penalty.

The details:

• In a RacingNews365 poll, Hamilton received 37.09% of votes to win in Mexico City.
• Verstappen was second on 20.85%, narrowly ahead of Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, who starts fourth and took just under 18%.
• Charles Leclerc, third on the grid, polled 12.05%; George Russell, alongside Hamilton on the front row, collected 10%.
• Lando Norris and Isack Hadjar, starting sixth and seventh, earned just 2% between them.

What’s next:

Hamilton’s margin is tiny, and the run to Turn 1 will matter. If Ferrari can manage tyre temperatures and avoid a strategic fight with Verstappen, the seven-time champion has a real chance to deliver early confirmation that his move to Maranello is building toward something bigger.