Hamilton follows Andretti, 44 years on

“You’ve never had anyone like me here in 70 years. I feel that I’m built differently.”

Lewis Hamilton was talking about the potential of him racing well into his forties so that he can compete in the African Grand Prix in future, and his comments were made before a wheel had even turned in Mexico City. But he could easily have been speaking after taking pole position on Saturday afternoon, his first for Ferrari.

At the age of 41, Hamilton became the oldest driver to take a pole position in Formula 1 since Mario Andretti in the 1982 Italian Grand Prix. 44 years ago.

There are only four drivers who have taken pole position at an older age than the driver of car number 44, and Hamilton now features in the top 10 of both the youngest and oldest pole-sitters in F1 history.

“When there's a will, there's a way,” Hamilton said. “I think it's all in the mind. I honestly think for all of us, for sure you might feel aches and pains. Luckily, I don't. I mean, I ice bath a lot. I do all those different things that you can do to try and keep yourself young and fit. But I love what I do, and that love has not gone.

“I wake up every day thinking about it. I dream about it. And I've got this amazing support around the world. These guys keep me going, and I hope they're happy with that today, and I hope I can deliver for them tomorrow.”

There was a huge amount of confidence in Hamilton’s comments on Thursday as he addressed a question that suggested there hasn’t been a driver performing competitively at the front of the field well into their forties for some time. Fernando Alonso might disagree, but given Alonso’s last pole position came as a 30-year-old in 2012, he hasn’t had the machinery to fairly respond.

Hamilton, however, has been a far more competitive proposition this season than in much of the ground effect era – his previous pole coming three years ago in Hungary – and to be able to extend his record of pole positions to 105 clearly meant a huge deal to the seven-time world champion.

Hamilton's maiden pole for Ferrari meant a tremendous amount to both driver and team, with Hamilton saying the experience brought back childhood memories of watching Michael Schumacher win poles for the Scuderia. Bryn Lennon/Formula 1 via Getty Images

“It's been a long time since I think I've sat in this spot. I don't really remember the last time I had a pole. Embarking on this journey with Ferrari and all the challenges and ups and downs we've had, and even yesterday was challenging, obviously when the car stopped on track and we lost the long run that everyone got to do.

“But [I’ve been] just continuing to hold on to that hope that one day we'll get back on the front row and to P1 once we dialed the car in. But it was such a close qualifying and so difficult, I think, for everyone, working the tires. So little downforce and grip that you have on here, so you just have to be as millimeter perfect as you can be.

“It was a really, really clean lap. I needed it because, I mean, Charles, I think, was three or four tenths up the road from the first run, and that's quite a big deficit to close on your last lap. But I knew areas that I could improve on, and I think just my belief in this team, the opportunity that they've given me and the belief and faith they've put in me, it feels great to be able to reward them with a pole.

“And to have your first Ferrari pole, I mean, jeez, it just takes me back to watching Michael get all those pole positions when he was at Ferrari and all those wins. It's very, very special.”

Hamilton concedes he is facing a number of unknown challenges heading into Sunday’s race as a result of the lack of long running he could do in FP2, after he was told to stop his car on track due to power unit concerns. And starting from pole can leave a driver vulnerable on such a long run to the first corner, with 815 meters between his starting position and the first braking zone.

Even with 106 race victories to his name, Hamilton still appears as hungry as ever for more success, with the ultimate goal of an eighth world title. Taking pole position will not improve his outlook if he struggles in the race.

But regardless off how the race pans out, he’s just placed himself even higher up another list of greats that further cements both his legacy and his current level of ability. Fourty-four years on from the last time an older driver took pole position, Hamilton now only has Andretti, Jack Brabham, Juan Manuel Fangio and Giuseppe Farina ahead of him. And seeing as he's currently nine months younger than Andretti was in 1982, you wouldn’t bet against Hamilton climbing another spot in the record books in a year’s time, either.