Liam Lawson qualified eighth for the 2026 Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez but will start ninth due to a one-place grid penalty, while Lewis Hamilton claimed his first pole position with Ferrari.
Lawson progressed through all three qualifying sessions alongside Racing Bulls teammate Arvid Lindblad, with the pair securing eighth and ninth on the grid respectively.
Hamilton claimed pole position ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell and Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, ending a pole drought stretching back to the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Q1 – Lawson safely through as Hamilton sets the pace
Oscar Piastri initially set the benchmark in the opening qualifying session with a 1:18.589 before Hamilton went three-tenths quicker with a 1:18.249.
However, the session was interrupted shortly afterwards when Fernando Alonso stopped on track with a mechanical issue, bringing out the red flags. Once running resumed, Leclerc moved to the top of the timesheets with a 1:17.532, ahead of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.
Lawson made a promising start to his qualifying campaign, going fourth fastest on his opening flying lap, half a second off Leclerc’s benchmark and half a second quicker than teammate Lindblad, who initially slotted into tenth.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli also showed strong pace, moving into third, while Mercedes teammate Russell went fifth fastest.
With three minutes remaining, Hamilton improved to a 1:17.341 to put Ferrari first and second, almost two-tenths clear of Leclerc. Lindblad also found more time on his final run, closing the gap to Lawson to less than a tenth of a second.
Lawson eventually finished Q1 in 12th, with Lindblad 14th, comfortably securing both Racing Bulls drivers a place in Q2. Hamilton remained fastest at the end of the session, just 0.044 seconds ahead of Isack Hadjar, with Leclerc third.
Alex Albon, Fernando Alonso, Ryo Hirakawa, Lance Stroll, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas were eliminated.
Q2 – Racing Bulls duo reach Q3 as Piastri misses out
Piastri was again the first driver to set a competitive time in Q2, recording a 1:17.776, but Leclerc quickly lowered the benchmark to a 1:16.944. Lindblad put together an impressive opening lap to move into second, less than two-tenths behind Leclerc, before Lawson slotted into third.
The session remained closely contested as Verstappen went fastest with a 1:16.876, edging Leclerc by just 0.068 seconds. Hamilton improved to third on his second flying lap, while Russell and Hadjar also featured towards the front.
Lawson briefly found himself in the elimination zone after Pierre Gasly improved to ninth, leaving the Kiwi needing a quicker final lap to keep his qualifying session alive. Lindblad sat eighth after his final attempt, while Piastri couldn’t improve enough and was eliminated in 13th.
Under pressure, Lawson delivered when it mattered, improving to ninth and securing his place in Q3, less than a tenth behind his teammate.
Norris topped the session with a 1:16.728 on his final lap, ahead of Verstappen, Leclerc, Hamilton and Russell.
Hadjar, Antonelli, Lindblad, Lawson and Gasly completed the top ten, with both Racing Bulls drivers progressing to the final qualifying shootout. Nico Hulkenberg, Franco Colapinto, Oscar Piastri, Gabriel Bortoleto, Oliver Bearman and Carlos Sainz were eliminated.
Q3 – Lawson takes eighth as Hamilton snatches pole
The final ten-minute session saw Ferrari continue its strong qualifying form, with Hamilton initially setting the pace before Leclerc moved ahead with a 1:16.647, almost four-tenths quicker than his teammate.
Norris went second, less than two-tenths behind Leclerc, before Verstappen moved into second himself, missing the fastest time by just 0.045 seconds.
Lawson’s first flying lap put him seventh, seven-tenths off the pace, while Lindblad was eighth, 1.5 seconds behind Leclerc.
With the final runs underway, Russell jumped to provisional pole with a 1:16.523, just over a tenth quicker than Leclerc. Hamilton then went 0.009 seconds faster than Russell to take the top spot, setting a time that would ultimately secure pole position.
Further down the order, Lindblad improved to seventh, six-tenths off the pace, before Lawson responded with a quicker lap of his own to move ahead of his teammate.
Antonelli improved to fifth on his final attempt, while Verstappen locked up at Turn 13 and was forced to abandon his final push lap. The Dutchman finished fourth-fastest but will drop one position on the grid due to a one-place penalty.
Hamilton’s pole marks his first with Ferrari and his first since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, ending a wait of more than three years. Russell will line up alongside Hamilton on the front row, with Leclerc and championship leader Antonelli sharing the second row.
Verstappen will start fifth, ahead of Norris and Hadjar, while Lindblad lines up eighth, followed by Lawson in ninth after his one-place grid penalty. Gasly rounds out the top ten.
For Lawson, the result continues a positive weekend in Mexico City after showing competitive pace throughout practice and qualifying. The Kiwi will now look to convert his ninth-place starting position into another points finish as the season enters its closing stages.
The 2026 Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix gets underway at 9:00am Monday, New Zealand time.
Header Photo: Clive Rose/Getty Images via Red Bull Content Pool
