Lewis Hamilton was left almost speechless after producing a sensational performance to secure pole position for the Mexican Grand Prix, becoming the oldest driver to achieve the feat since Mario Andretti at the 1982 Italian Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion admitted that the result felt particularly special after a challenging weekend in which technical problems disrupted his preparations.

The Ferrari driver delivered a stunning 1:16.514 in Q3, beating George Russell by just 0.009 seconds to claim the 105th pole position of his Formula 1 career. As Hamilton emerged victorious from an incredibly close qualifying battle in Mexico City, teammate Charles Leclerc completed the top three, just 0.119 seconds behind the Briton.

Hamilton delighted after overcoming difficult Mexican GP preparations

Speaking immediately after stepping out of his Ferrari, Hamilton struggled to find the words to describe his emotions, particularly given the difficulties he encountered during Friday's practice sessions.

"That felt great! That feels good!" Hamilton exclaimed, before reflecting on the problems that left him playing catch-up throughout the opening day.

"I'm so happy. I'm lost for words. It's been a really challenging weekend. FP1 we had an (aero) rake running and an engine issue yesterday, which meant we were on the back foot and I didn't get to do a long run. But we've done a really good job with the setup. We learned a lot from the last race."

The engine issue proved particularly disruptive to Hamilton's Friday programme, preventing him from completing a long run and limiting the preparation time available ahead of qualifying. Nevertheless, Ferrari managed to make sufficient progress with the car's setup to put the Briton in contention for pole position when it mattered most.

Hamilton also pointed to the lessons learned from the previous race as an important part of Ferrari's preparations, with the improvements helping him find the performance required to beat Russell by the narrowest of margins.

Photo: Race Pictures

Hamilton celebrates historic 105th pole position in Mexico

The battle for pole was far from straightforward, with Hamilton explaining that even his progression through Q2 presented difficulties. The Ferrari driver highlighted the extremely small gaps between the leading contenders and suggested that tyre availability played a part in how the session unfolded.

"It's so close between us all. For example, in Q2, I didn't get my lap in at the beginning. I think the others have a new tyre for the start but to have pole here. It feels special to be here in Mexico and [pole position] 105, I like that number."

Hamilton's latest achievement carries additional historical significance. At 41, the Briton became the oldest driver to start from pole position in Formula 1 for more than four decades, with Andretti the last driver older than him to achieve the feat at Monza in 1982.