Hamilton sees Ferrari in pole fight despite Mexico practice trouble

Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari can fight for pole at the Mexican Grand Prix, despite reporting power loss in several places on his lap. He also missed a high-fuel long run after an issue in Friday’s second practice.

Charles Leclerc topped both Friday practice sessions. Hamilton said the Ferrari felt strong after set-up changes; he estimated that power loss on his lap had cost him three tenths. He described the underlying car as “a really good car this weekend.”

George Russell had said on Thursday that Ferrari’s smaller turbo could provide an advantage in Mexico’s thin air. Hamilton was not convinced: he said Mercedes and Red Bull remained quick at the ends of the straights, and estimated Ferrari was still losing two or three tenths despite the car behaving well. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri also played down the theory, saying Ferrari had looked “a bit slow on the straights.”

Hamilton expected rivals to find more pace in Saturday’s qualifying, but still thought Ferrari could get close to the front row. For Sunday’s race, he said he would have to use other drivers’ data to make a best guess at the wing, set-up and braking.