Hamilton’s Mexico pole was won before the final laps

Lewis Hamilton’s first Ferrari pole in Mexico was not down to a major upgrade or a sudden aero advantage. It came from the work before his final qualifying lap — getting the SF-26’s tyres into the right window on the outlap.

Why it matters:

Ferrari has often had qualifying pace but failed to convert it. The SF-26 is easy on its tyres, which helps in races but complicates qualifying, when drivers must fire up both axles without overheating the rears. In Mexico, that balance decided the Hamilton-Leclerc fight.

The details:

• Hamilton’s second Q3 outlap was more aggressive out of the pits and on the straights, but calmer through the stadium section. He lost time early, then gained it back from Turn 4 onward.
• Leclerc, third, had a cleaner preparation lap but overheated his rears through Turns 6-7. He called it a “very shit lap” and said he could only be angry with himself.
• George Russell qualified second, 0.009s off pole, despite struggling with the upgraded Mercedes all weekend. He abandoned a double prep lap for a single attacking run and was at a loss to explain the pace.
• Russell noted Mercedes had fuelled for two preparation laps; the extra weight may have cost more than his tiny deficit.

What’s next:

Hamilton said he used tools he had not called upon “for like 13 years” to find the tyre window. With margins this small, outlap execution could decide more qualifying battles as the season closes.