Photo via Crash.net

Lewis Hamilton’s honest qualifying admission after ending F1 pole drought

Lewis Hamilton ended a three-year pole position drought at the Mexico City Grand Prix, securing his 105th career pole position for Ferrari at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. The seven-time world champion edged out former Mercedes teammate George Russell by a razor-thin 0.009 seconds, marking his first pole since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Hamilton attributed his success to overcoming recent struggles with tire management, a challenge he described as refining a 'needle in a haystack' balance in modern Formula 1. The 41-year-old admitted that adapting to the 18-inch tires and adjusting his driving style—particularly in cornering and tire wear—had been a key hurdle over the past few seasons.

His breakthrough lap came after fine-tuning tire temperatures and execution, with Hamilton noting the current tires' stiffness compared to the softer 13-inch compounds he used earlier in his career. The victory extended his record for most poles in F1 history, underscoring a historic shift after years of qualifying inconsistency.

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