Lewis Hamilton has expressed strong confidence in Scuderia Ferrari's competitive pace at the Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix, despite encountering technical issues that disrupted his running during Friday practice sessions at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
The seven-time world champion's optimism was reinforced after his team-mate, Charles Leclerc, set the pace by topping the timesheets in both Friday practice sessions. The Maranello squad's strong start immediately drew attention from rival garages in the high-altitude environment.
However, the day was not entirely trouble-free for the British driver. A technical glitch during the second practice session robbed him of the crucial opportunity to complete a high-fuel long run, dealing a blow to his race simulation preparations.
"It felt really good up until then. That was feeling great. And we did a good job with set-up changes. Car was in a good place and we were just actually strong," Hamilton said, reflecting on the initial performance of his machinery before the setback occurred.
Elaborating on the technical hurdles, Hamilton noted that power losses throughout his fast lap cost him valuable time. "But even on my lap, we were losing power in a few places, so I lost three tenths already before as well. Underlying is a really good car this weekend," he added.
Prior to the weekend, speculation arose suggesting that Ferrari's smaller turbocharger could grant them a distinct performance advantage in Mexico City's thin air. Mercedes driver George Russell remarked that the Italian cars could benefit from this unique geographical factor.
Yet, Hamilton pushed back against the narrative surrounding the turbocharger's impact. Pointing to telemetry data against Red Bull and his former squad, he insisted that rival straight-line speeds remained as potent as ever.
"I don’t really agree on the turbo thing. If you look at the speeds to the Mercedes and the Red Bull, they’re still quick at the end of the straights, like they are every race. So the turbo is just not making a difference," Hamilton explained.
He further maintained that Ferrari still suffers a deficit on the power front. "It’s still pulling more at the end of straights. So I think we’re still losing a good two or three tenths, but the car is behaving very well," he stated.
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri also downplayed the theory, observing that the red cars appeared somewhat sluggish on the straights. Despite conceding time in straight-line speed, Hamilton remains adamant that front-row contention is a realistic target for qualifying.
"Charles has been P1 for the two sessions, and I think you never know how qualifying goes. The others seem to take another step, but honestly feels like we could be really close to beating them for Quali," he concluded.
Having missed out on his race simulation data collection, Hamilton admitted he must rely on rival telemetry to finalize wing configurations, braking parameters, and general car setup ahead of Sunday's race, where Mercedes holds a 133-point lead in the constructors' standings.
Read Also
Kesalahan klasifikasi IndyCar tunda ambisi Colton Herta raih Superlicence F1. Simak analisis lengkap dan update poin selengkapnya di sini.
Simak analisis lengkap FP2 GP Meksiko 2026 saat Hamilton mogok, Leclerc tercepat, dan insiden Verstappen serta Norris. Baca berita selengkapnya di sini!
Simak analisis lengkap insiden panas Max Verstappen dan Liam Lawson di GP Meksiko 2024. Baca detail kritik tajam sang juara dunia di sini!
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!