Ferrari Looking Strong in Mexico, But Leclerc Keeps Expectations in Check
Charles Leclerc had a pretty solid Friday at the Mexico City Grand Prix, topping the timesheet in first practice and finishing second behind Max Verstappen in the second session. Despite the strong showing, he’s not getting too carried away.
“Friday was a positive one,” Leclerc said after practice. “We are still on the back foot compared to Red Bull, especially on low fuel, and McLaren, especially on high fuel.”
The Ferrari driver isn’t surprised by the pecking order.
“We expected them to be the strongest team coming here, but we’ve done pretty good laps. I felt quite good with the car.”
Leclerc believes Ferrari needs to keep building on this foundation to close the gap to their rivals.
Long runs continue to be Ferrari’s weakness, though Leclerc noted some small improvements compared to recent races. He recently scored Ferrari’s most recent podium in Austin.
“On the high fuel we were maybe a little bit better compared to Red Bull but McLaren was in a league of their own and by a lot,” he explained.
The pace of the McLaren has left him scratching his head.
“I don’t know exactly what is going on there. I hope they were on low fuel but I don’t know, they seem to be very strong.”
Looking ahead to Sunday, Leclerc remains realistic about Ferrari’s chances.
“For now it doesn’t seem realistic for us to be fighting with them in the race, but we’re going to try and make changes in order to be very strong.”
## McLaren puzzles Hamilton
Leclerc’s teammate Lewis Hamilton admitted he was surprised by Ferrari’s pace on Friday, while finding McLaren’s performance particularly confusing. Hamilton also shared his thoughts on how the team is handling their drivers during the intense championship battle. You can read his full comments elsewhere.
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