We checked this claim: is it true that
Lewis Hamilton took pole position for Ferrari at the Mexico City Grand Prix ahead of George Russell?
Carlos Sainz took pole for Ferrari in Mexico City while Lewis Hamilton qualified sixth for Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton loses fictional Ferrari pole to Carlos Sainz
Viral online claims that Lewis Hamilton secured pole position for Ferrari in Mexico City contradict official race timing records showing Carlos Sainz took the top spot.
In a nutshell
Viral social media posts claimed that Lewis Hamilton scored his first Formula One pole position for Ferrari at the Mexico City Grand Prix, edging out Mercedes teammate George Russell by nine thousandths of a second. Official governing records from the FIA directly contradict the story: Carlos Sainz took pole position for Ferrari with a qualifying time of 1:15.946, while Hamilton, still competing for Mercedes in 2024, qualified sixth.
Highlights
- Carlos Sainz claimed pole position for Ferrari at the 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix with a time of 1:15.946.
- Lewis Hamilton qualified in sixth position for Mercedes with a lap time of 1:16.651.
- Max Verstappen took second place and Lando Norris qualified third in the official session standings.
- George Russell qualified fifth for Mercedes, finishing ahead of Hamilton.
- Social media posts falsely claimed Hamilton beat Russell to pole position by nine thousandths of a second.
From the Editor’s Diary
Anticipation of major athlete transfers can create viral fictions online, but certified timing archives remain the sole authority on sporting outcomes.
Who's involved
Lewis Hamilton
British seven-time Formula One world champion
goal → Securing top qualifying berths and race victories for Mercedes
Carlos Sainz
Spanish Scuderia Ferrari Formula One driver
goal → Winning pole positions and delivering peak track performances for Ferrari
FIA
International Automobile Federation governing world motor racing
goal → Certifying and publishing official session timing classifications
In short
Official Formula One records preserve race results against online myth, ensuring certified lap times outweigh viral claims.
Social media claims attributing Ferrari's Mexico City qualifying success to Lewis Hamilton will continue to collapse against published race classifications.
That outcome is near-certain because the International Automobile Federation, the governing body known as the FIA that oversees world motorsport and publishes binding timing sheets, holds the permanent administrative record.
How it unfolded
Carlos Sainz secures Mexico City pole position for Ferrari
Official track timing confirmed Carlos Sainz secured pole position for Ferrari at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit, setting the verified grid while social media accounts subsequently began confusing driver lineups and final standings.
Online accounts circulate fictitious Ferrari qualifying victory
Viral posts on X.com reassigned the Ferrari qualifying victory to Lewis Hamilton, leveraging excitement over his announced future move to the Italian team to spread unverified results.
Where things stand
Published timing classifications from the FIA disprove claims that Lewis Hamilton secured pole position for Ferrari in Mexico City.
Carlos Sainz earned the authentic pole position for Ferrari, while Hamilton qualified sixth for Mercedes.