Lewis Hamilton takes Ferrari pole as Kimi Antonelli nears youngest F1 title

At the Mexico City Grand Prix qualifying, Lewis Hamilton earned his first pole position for Ferrari and his first since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, marking the 105th pole of his career, BBC Sport reported.

Hamilton narrowly edged out his former Mercedes teammate George Russell by 0.009 seconds to claim the top spot on the grid, according to Yahoo Sports.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth, a position that, while modest for him this season, still places him strongly to secure the Formula 1 world championship, which would make him the youngest champion in history, BBC Sport noted.

Only Hamilton and Russell, who qualified first and second respectively, can mathematically prevent Antonelli from clinching the title in Sunday's race. Antonelli needs to finish ninth if Russell wins or tenth if Hamilton wins to secure the championship, Yahoo Sports explained.

Russell acknowledged that Antonelli is likely to win the championship this weekend and stated his focus is on finishing the season strongly, per Yahoo Sports.

Hamilton expressed his aim to perform the best for his team, while Antonelli remains focused on achieving the best result to seal his maiden title, BBC Sport added.