Leclerc Admits Ferrari Struggles in Mexico Against McLaren and Red Bull

Charles Leclerc acknowledged that Ferrari is struggling against McLaren and Red Bull at the Mexican Grand Prix. Despite being the second fastest driver during Friday’s practice session, Leclerc feels the team is “on the back foot.” He finished just 0.153 seconds behind Max Verstappen, who set the fastest lap at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Leclerc’s Perspective on Ferrari’s Performance

Leclerc described Friday’s performance as positive but emphasized that Ferrari still has room for improvement. “We are still on the back foot compared to Red Bull, especially on low fuel, and McLaren, especially on high fuel,” he stated. He admitted that the competition from these teams did not come as a surprise.

“We’ve done pretty good laps,” he continued. “I felt quite good with the car, so we’ve just got to build from that tomorrow, and hopefully, we can gain a bit more performance.”

Long Run Insights

In the context of long-run performance, Leclerc mentioned that Ferrari might have an advantage over Red Bull. “On the high fuel, we were maybe a little bit better compared to Red Bull,” he remarked. However, he noted that McLaren was significantly ahead, stating, “They seemed to be very strong.”

Hamilton’s Waiting Game

Lewis Hamilton, who secured the fifth-fastest time in the second practice session, shared his insights about the challenging conditions at high altitude. Replacing Antonio Fuoco for FP1, Hamilton said, “I’m surprised how relatively close we are, given how not great it felt.”

He described the car’s balance as unstable, experiencing significant sliding during laps. “The balance is very open,” he added, indicating that he has work ahead to find better handling before the race.

Key Takeaways

• Leclerc finished second in practice, 0.153 seconds behind Verstappen.
• Ferrari is struggling against McLaren and Red Bull in low and high fuel scenarios.
• Hamilton is working on improving the car’s balance after a challenging practice session.

As the teams prepare for the upcoming race, the competition between Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull continues to intensify, with all eyes on performance adjustments that could change the dynamics on race day.