Charles Leclerc cautious after strong Mexico performance

Ferrari had what could beryllium described arsenic "another promising Friday" successful Mexico, arsenic Charles Leclerc was fastest successful the archetypal escaped signifier and finished 2nd successful the second, conscionable down Max Verstappen. Unlike past play successful Austin, wherever the Sprint format created difficulties and a anemic start, this clip the SF-25 seemed unchangeable and competitory connected the Hermanos Rodriguez track.

Lewis Hamilton, the 49-year-old Briton, took 5th spot successful the 2nd signifier session, conscionable implicit a tenth down his teammate. Hamilton antecedently near the car to Antonio Fuoco successful the archetypal signifier session, which, though the last, collected important information for the squad from Maranello.

"Fuoco has gathered utile accusation and acquisition that we volition usage successful moving connected the simulator, which is indispensable for the further improvement of the SF-25," said 1 squad member.

However, Leclerc remained realistic successful his appraisal of Ferrari's strength. "Friday was positive. We are inactive down Red Bull connected debased substance and down McLaren connected precocious fuel. There are nary surprises; we expected them to beryllium the strongest here. We did bully laps, I felt comfy successful the car and we person to physique connected that to get much performance," said the Monegasque driver.

McLaren and speed

Leclerc peculiarly highlighted the gait of McLaren, who looked the fastest successful the contention simulations. "With precocious substance we mightiness person been a small amended than Red Bull, but McLaren were successful a league of their own, mode ahead. I don't cognize precisely what was going connected - I anticipation they had little fuel, but they looked highly strong. It doesn't look realistic to combat them successful the contention astatine the moment, but we volition effort to marque changes to get person to them," helium said.

Ferrari volition effort to stay competitory successful Saturday's qualifying arsenic well, though information from grooming shows that the combat against McLaren and Red Bull volition necessitate cleanable strategy and maximum exploitation of the SF-25's imaginable astatine the precocious altitude of Mexico City.