Mexico City Grand Prix: Ferrari and McLaren Show Promise Amid Red Bull Struggles
The opening day of the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend revealed contrasting fortunes for top teams, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc asserting their competitive edge over a faltering Red Bull, while McLaren’s pace remains a concern.
Leclerc topped the first practice session (FP1) as he showcased strong performance, despite Red Bull’s Max Verstappen sitting out the first hour. However, in FP2, Verstappen rebounded to secure the fastest lap in a single qualifying simulation, but acknowledged significant race pace issues with the car.
“I felt quite good with the car. We’ve just got to build from that tomorrow and hopefully we can gain a little bit more performance,” Leclerc commented, recognizing McLaren’s superior high-fuel pace. He conceded, “For now, it doesn’t seem realistic for us to be fighting with them in the race.”
In terms of pace, Leclerc noted, “We are on the back foot compared to Red Bull, especially on low fuel, and McLaren, especially on high fuel.” His teammate Lewis Hamilton echoed similar sentiments about handling difficulties, emphasizing the need for improvements: “Every time you come here, the grip is… lower than Monza. I know there’s more pace in the car.”
Verstappen confirmed concerns regarding Red Bull’s long-run performance, stating, “The big problem is the long runs where we seem to struggle a lot. You’re not going to win the race like that.”
Contrasting this, McLaren’s Lando Norris expressed cautious optimism after a strong FP2 performance, despite missing FP1. “I feel like I got up to speed very quickly,” he noted, although he acknowledged potential threats from other teams given the variables of low-fuel runs.
As teams prepare for the qualifying sessions, the noteworthy takeaway is that while Ferrari believes they can compete, the impressive race simulation from McLaren may place them out of reach. Red Bull will need to address their significant long-run pace deficiencies rapidly if they hope to contend effectively during the race weekend.
