Formula 1 today: Hamilton on pole, Lawson disqualified

Lewis Hamilton will start the Mexico City GP from the front. In qualifying at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez he was narrowly quicker than George Russell in the Mercedes. Behind them is his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. According to formula1.com, Russell missed out by just 0.009 seconds. That makes it the 105th pole position of Hamilton's career, his first with Ferrari and his first since the 2023 Hungarian GP.

Positions four to ten initially went to Max Verstappen, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Lando Norris, Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindblad and Pierre Gasly. According to formula1.com, Oscar Piastri was already knocked out in Q2. He had complained about a lack of rear grip.

The stewards have excluded Liam Lawson from the qualifying results. According to formula1.com, the FIA found a breach of the MGU-K rules on his fastest Q2 lap. After the finish line, the electric motor's power reportedly dropped off faster than the regulations allow.

The RB F1 Team had reported the error itself and argued that Lawson gained no advantage from it. The stewards did not accept this: a car must comply with the rules at all times, and based on previous precedents, a breach of the Technical Regulations leads to disqualification. Lawson will therefore start from the back of the field.

Even before qualifying, it was confirmed that Verstappen and Lawson would each drop one place on the starting grid. Both also receive a penalty point. The pair had clashed in the stadium section during second free practice. According to formula1.com, the stewards described the behaviour as "unacceptable", not least because a warning had been issued beforehand at the team managers' meeting. Both drivers reportedly admitted their manoeuvres had been unnecessary and clumsy.

Verstappen therefore starts behind Antonelli. For Lawson, this penalty is practically irrelevant after his disqualification.

The stewards also handed out two reprimands this weekend: Fernando Alonso for a breach of general safety, and Hadjar for crossing the line at the pit entry. According to formula1.com, Alonso had stopped his Aston Martin on track in Q1 on the team's instructions, which triggered a red flag.

Antonelli leads the championship standings with 365 points, ahead of Russell on 242 and Hamilton on 241 points. According to formula1.com, a ninth-place finish on Sunday will be enough for him to secure his first world title.

The race starts at 20:00 UTC, which is 21:00 German time. You can find all the dates in the calendar.