Charles Leclerc admitted he was disappointed with his performance in qualifying for the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix after securing third place on the grid, behind George Russell, while Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton claimed a front-row starting position. The Monegasque driver believes he failed to extract the maximum potential from his Ferrari, with tyre preparation difficulties and an unusually nervous car preventing him from delivering his best lap in Q3.
Although third place represents a promising starting position, Charles Leclerc felt a better result was within reach. The Ferrari driver struggled to bring his tyres into the correct operating window, while the car’s unpredictable behaviour made it particularly difficult to find the confidence needed to push to the limit during the decisive stages of qualifying.
Charles Leclerc admits mistakes after difficult Mexico GP qualifying
The opening runs in Q3 suggested that Charles Leclerc could achieve an even stronger result, but he was unable to reproduce that level of performance on his final attempt. Despite showing encouraging pace earlier in the session, the Ferrari driver struggled to put everything together when it mattered most.
Much of the difficulty came during the preparation laps, which are crucial for bringing the tyres into their ideal temperature window before a flying lap. The problem returned during the decisive part of qualifying, leaving Charles Leclerc frustrated despite securing third place on the grid.
“I didn’t do a good job. The out-laps were very difficult in terms of getting the tyres into the right window. That’s where we struggled the most.
“In Q3, on the second run, I had a clean out-lap, but the car felt very different compared to before and I didn’t do the job when I needed to. A bit disappointed, but starting third here isn’t bad.”
The difficulties highlight how important tyre preparation became during the final qualifying runs. Even with a clean out-lap, Charles Leclerc found that the Ferrari behaved differently from his previous attempt, preventing him from producing the lap he had hoped for.
The performance of both Ferrari drivers can be examined further through the F1 qualifying pace and sector comparison, which provides detailed qualifying lap-time and sector data.
Ferrari’s nervous handling and low grip complicate Charles Leclerc’s Q3
Tyre preparation was not the only issue affecting Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver also had to contend with a particularly nervous car, especially during Q3, making it difficult to achieve a consistent balance and extract the available performance.
The unusually low grip levels at the Mexican circuit added another layer of difficulty. With the aerodynamic downforce available in these conditions, Charles Leclerc explained that the car required constant attention and effort to keep it under control while pushing towards the limit.
“I was fighting the car quite a lot, especially in Q3. At the end of the day, it’s the same for everyone.
“There’s so little grip with the downforce we have here that you have to fight the car. It’s fun to push the car to the limit in these conditions.”
The comments reflect the challenges Ferrari anticipated heading into the Mexican Grand Prix, with team principal Fred Vasseur having already warned about the unusual cooling and grip demands created by the circuit’s high altitude and aerodynamic requirements.
Charles Leclerc starts third as Lewis Hamilton leads Ferrari’s qualifying effort
Despite his frustration, Charles Leclerc will begin the race from third position, directly behind George Russell, with Lewis Hamilton starting from the front row. The result gives Ferrari two cars near the front of the grid, even though the Monegasque driver believes he could have achieved more from his qualifying performance.
For Charles Leclerc, the disappointment stems primarily from his inability to deliver his best lap when the opportunity arose rather than the starting position itself. His comments underline the difficulty of finding a consistent feeling with the SF-26 when tyre preparation and car balance become particularly sensitive.
Ferrari’s broader SF-26 performance challenges in Mexico have already highlighted how different the circuit’s demands are from those experienced in Austin. Nevertheless, third place gives Charles Leclerc a competitive starting position as he looks to make the most of Sunday’s Grand Prix.
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