Heading into the high-altitude challenges of the upcoming weekend, Charles Leclerc arrives at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez carrying strong momentum following an impressive podium-contending pace displayed during the previous round in Austin. However, the Maranello team's leading driver remains vocal about his lingering concerns regarding the sensitive operational window of the Ferrari SF-26, a critical characteristic that has repeatedly hampered their execution during high-stakes sessions.
The Italian outfit's competitive pace has notably fluctuated between practice and qualifying sessions throughout the ongoing campaign. A prime example occurred at the Circuit of the Americas, where the Monegasque driver was initially tipped as a primary contender for pole position after showcasing exceptional speed in practice, only to struggle and settle for a disappointing fourth place on the starting grid when track conditions shifted.
When questioned by media outlets including Motorsport Week regarding whether the Scuderia enters the weekend as the team to beat, Charles Leclerc quickly deflected the favoritism towards their championship rivals. "I don’t know," said Charles Leclerc. "Honestly, I think it’s getting very close, and we have good momentum. With Singapore and Austin as well, we’ve maximised our potential, and I was relatively happy with the pace we’ve shown."
Elaborating further on the competitive landscape, he assessed the strength of opposing constructors in the paddock. "Whether we are the favourites for this weekend, I don’t fully agree. I think Mercedes remain the favourites wherever we go. Red Bull are very, very strong as well recently. But if we maximise everything we have, then I hope it can be a great weekend for us. As we’ve seen, I think the optimisation of our package is what will eventually make the most difference. It’s so difficult to put everything in the right window coming into qualifying that, if we manage to do so, I think we’ve got a chance here."
Reflecting on the limitations faced during the United States Grand Prix weekend, the Ferrari star pointed out that sudden drops in asphalt temperature heavily penalize the SF-26, causing the challenger to immediately fall out of its ideal operating window and lose crucial lap time compared to direct competitors during Q3.
"I mean, we’ve got a strong car, but it’s a car that is very sensitive whenever we get off the optimum window," Charles Leclerc told the media. "We’ve paid the price a little bit recently in Q3, particularly when the track temperatures are going down. Then we just struggle a bit more compared to the others to keep everything in the right window. That’s what happened in Austin, unfortunately, in the lap that counted the most out of Friday and Saturday. Eventually, we lost a front row because of that. It’s a limitation we know about and that we’re focused on. Whether we have the solution in the short term, I’m not sure. But at least it’s a point of focus and something we’ll make sure to try to get as right as possible coming into Saturday here."
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