Hamilton's first Ferrari pole—105th of his career, first in three years—came with the kind of joy you'd expect from a rookie, not a seven-time champion. He'll need every bit of that momentum Sunday. Practice signals minimal overtaking, which favors the polesitter, but Mexico City's endless run to Turn 1 puts Russell, Leclerc, Antonelli, Verstappen, and Norris right in his mirrors with a mile of slipstream to work with. The strategic wrinkle: teams are split on whether this plays as a one-stop or two. That tension could break the race open. Hamilton's fastest on Saturday, but survival through the opening complex and early tire degradation data will decide whether Ferrari finally cashes a win they've been chasing since his arrival. Verstappen and Norris won't make it easy.

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