Charles Leclerc has played down suggestions that Ferrari could be the team to beat at the Mexican Grand Prix, despite George Russell identifying a potential technical advantage for the Scuderia. The Monegasque remains focused on securing another victory before the end of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Leclerc believes Ferrari has an opportunity to continue its recent resurgence at the Mexican Grand Prix, but has questioned George Russell’s suggestion that the Italian team could enjoy a significant advantage over its rivals this weekend.
The Ferrari driver arrives in Mexico City following consecutive second-place finishes in Singapore and Austin, results that have brought him back into contention for second place in the Drivers’ Championship.
With five Grands Prix remaining, Kimi Antonelli is closing in on his maiden world title, but the battle behind the Mercedes driver remains remarkably close.
Russell currently occupies second place with 242 points, just one ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Max Verstappen follows on 236, while Leclerc sits fifth with 233 points, leaving only nine points separating the four drivers.
Despite the opportunity to finish runner-up in the championship, Leclerc insists his primary ambition is to return to the top step of the podium.
“It’s important for us to finish the season on a high,” Leclerc explained ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix.
“I think, as everybody knows, second is better than third, and third is better than fourth. So we’re just going to try to maximise everything we can.”
The Monegasque believes that securing further victories would naturally strengthen his championship position, rather than making second place an objective in itself.
“What matters most to me is maximising every race, one after another, and trying to get a few wins before the end of the season.
“If we manage that, then second place will be the natural consequence of our end to the championship. But if we don’t, we’ll struggle to finish second.
“It’s not as though I’m obsessed with finishing second in the Drivers’ Championship.”
Leclerc Targets More Victories After Ferrari’s Recent Progress
Leclerc has claimed just one Grand Prix victory this season, at Silverstone, but Ferrari’s improved performances in recent races have offered encouragement.
His second-place finishes in Singapore and Austin suggest the team has made progress, although Leclerc acknowledges that its competitiveness remains dependent on circuit characteristics and operating conditions.
“I feel that we’re in a good run of form at the moment,” he said.
“As for whether we’ll be able to fight for victory, we’ll have to wait and see, because we’re up against very strong rivals and we don’t have the pace to win every weekend.”
The Ferrari driver is therefore reluctant to make predictions about the team’s prospects in Mexico, even with its recent podium finishes providing grounds for optimism.
Russell Identifies Potential Ferrari Turbo Advantage
Russell, however, believes Ferrari could be particularly well placed to exploit the unusual conditions at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
Situated more than 2,200 metres above sea level, the Mexican circuit presents a significant challenge for Formula 1 power units because of the reduced air density.
Turbochargers must operate at higher speeds to deliver sufficient airflow to the combustion engine, while the removal of the MGU-H under the 2026 regulations means manufacturers can no longer rely on its assistance to reduce turbo lag.
According to Russell, Ferrari’s turbocharger design could provide an important advantage in these circumstances.
“It’s going to be very interesting,” Russell said.
“I think turbo lag is going to be a significant factor for a lot of teams this weekend.
“It’s obviously no secret that Ferrari, in particular, has a smaller turbo than most of the other power unit manufacturers. So they probably have quite a significant advantage in that area.”
The Mercedes driver acknowledged that the extent of the challenge remains uncertain until teams begin running in Mexico.
“We don’t yet know how difficult it’s going to be, but we can clearly anticipate that it won’t be straightforward.”
Russell also highlighted difficulties Mercedes has experienced since introducing its latest upgrade package in Malaysia.
The updates appear to have made the W17 particularly sensitive to its operating conditions, with Russell pointing to contrasting experiences for himself and Antonelli.
“It’s been a little strange for us since we introduced this upgrade package on the car,” he explained.
“We first brought it in Malaysia, and that was quite a difficult weekend for both of us.
“Then Kimi used it in Singapore. Again, that wasn’t an easy weekend. I used it again in Austin and struggled a lot on my side, whereas he obviously had a very good race.”
Russell believes Mercedes must find a way to make the updated car perform consistently across a wider range of conditions.
“We’re seeing certain characteristics of the car which show that this package works within a very narrow operating window. So we need to try to widen that window.”
Leclerc Insists Mercedes Remains the Benchmark
Despite Russell’s assessment, Leclerc remains unconvinced that Ferrari deserves to be considered favourite for the Mexican Grand Prix.
The Monegasque believes Mercedes retains an overall advantage, while Red Bull has also demonstrated strong competitiveness.
“As for whether we’re favourites this weekend, I don’t completely agree,” Leclerc said.
“I think Mercedes remains the favourite everywhere we go, and Red Bull has been very competitive.”
For Leclerc, the main concern is Ferrari’s difficulty in consistently extracting maximum performance from its car during qualifying.
Although the Scuderia has shown encouraging pace in practice sessions, that competitiveness has not always translated into the decisive laps in Q3.
“It’s so difficult to get everything working in the right window in qualifying, but if we manage that, we have a chance,” he explained.
“We have a good car, but it’s a car that is very sensitive when we move away from its optimal operating window.”
Leclerc highlighted the impact of falling track temperatures, which have made it particularly difficult for Ferrari to maintain the ideal conditions during the final stages of qualifying.
“Recently, we’ve paid the price for that a little in Q3, especially when the track temperature drops.
“We then struggle more than the others to keep all the parameters in the ideal window. Unfortunately, that’s what happened in Austin, on the lap that mattered most between Friday and Saturday.”
According to Leclerc, the problem cost Ferrari an opportunity to secure a front-row starting position at the United States Grand Prix.
“As a result, we lost a place on the front row. It’s a limitation we’re aware of and working on.
“I don’t know whether we have a short-term solution, but it’s certainly something we’re focusing on, and we’ll do everything we can to optimise the set-up for Saturday’s qualifying session here.”
Ferrari’s Qualifying Weakness Remains a Concern
Asked whether better preparation and execution could compensate for Ferrari’s narrow operating window, Leclerc acknowledged that improvements in those areas would help but could not entirely eliminate the disadvantage.
“Yes, but it remains a weakness because even with perfect execution, we may be more exposed to the risk of falling outside the ideal operating window, and that comes at a high cost.”
He believes the issue places additional pressure on Ferrari to maximise every aspect of its qualifying preparations.
“Of course, that makes preparation and execution even more important, particularly approaching qualifying.
“That said, everybody is trying to achieve optimal execution and everybody is doing an excellent job.
“Therefore, if you have a car that is more difficult to drive, you inevitably pay the price. I suppose that’s not something you can completely neutralise.”
The contrasting assessments from Russell and Leclerc underline the uncertainty surrounding the competitive order in Mexico.
While Russell sees Ferrari’s turbocharger configuration as a potential advantage in the circuit’s high-altitude conditions, Leclerc remains concerned about the team’s ability to deliver its best performance when it matters most.
For Ferrari, the challenge will be to convert its recent improvement into a genuine opportunity to fight for victory.
And for Leclerc, another win before the end of 2026 remains a far more compelling target than simply securing second place in the championship.
