Leclerc sees Ferrari victory chance in Mexico but still rates Mercedes the favourite

Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari can fight for victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix, but says its chances depend on optimising the package and getting everything into the right operating window for qualifying. He considers Mercedes the favourite and says Red Bull has been very strong recently.

After back-to-back runner-up finishes in Singapore and Austin, Leclerc said at Thursday's media day that Ferrari had good momentum and had maximised its potential. He was not ready to call the team the favourite, however. “We've got to be perfect,” he said of what Ferrari needs to do to give itself a chance in Mexico.

Leclerc identified qualifying as one of Ferrari's weak points. He said the car is sensitive outside its optimum operating window and that Ferrari struggles more than its rivals to keep everything in that window, particularly when track temperatures fall. According to Leclerc, that limitation cost Ferrari a front-row place in Austin on the lap that mattered most in Q3.

Leclerc was unsure whether Ferrari had a short-term solution, but said the limitation was known and remained a focus. The team would try to get things as right as possible for Saturday's qualifying in Mexico, he said.