Charles Leclerc has played down suggestions that Ferrari are favourites for the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, despite arriving at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on the back of consecutive second-place finishes in Singapore and Austin. The Monegasque believes the Italian team is making encouraging progress, but insists Mercedes remain the benchmark in Formula 1, with Red Bull also showing impressive form.
Speaking during the drivers’ press conference ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc acknowledged that Ferrari had been making the most of its recent opportunities. However, he believes the key to challenging for victory this weekend will be extracting the maximum performance from the SF-26, particularly during qualifying, when getting every element of the car’s performance into the right window has proved extremely difficult.
Charles Leclerc explains why Ferrari are not Mexico GP favourites
After finishing second in Singapore and again at the United States Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc is hoping to extend Ferrari’s positive run in Mexico. The team’s recent performances have raised expectations, especially after the Monegasque expressed confidence that Ferrari could win again in 2026 following his podium finish in Austin.
Nevertheless, the Ferrari driver was reluctant to accept the suggestion that the Scuderia should enter the Mexican weekend as the leading contender.
“Ferrari favourites in Mexico? I don’t know,” Charles Leclerc said. “Honestly, I think we’re getting very close and the trend is positive. In Singapore and Austin, we also made the most of our potential and had good pace. I don’t entirely agree that we’re the favourites for this weekend. I think Mercedes remain the favourites wherever we go. Red Bull have also been very, very strong recently.”
His assessment reflects the competitive situation Ferrari currently faces. Although the SF-26 has shown encouraging pace over the last two Grands Prix, Charles Leclerc believes the team still has work to do before it can be considered the outright favourite against Mercedes and Red Bull.
Ferrari must optimise the SF-26 to challenge Mercedes and Red Bull
Rather than focusing on predictions, Charles Leclerc emphasised the importance of maximising the performance available from Ferrari’s current package. The team’s recent improvement has been encouraging, but the Monegasque believes the outcome in Mexico will depend heavily on how effectively Ferrari prepares the car for qualifying.
“However, if we can get the maximum out of everything we have, I hope it can be a very good weekend for us,” he continued. “As we’ve seen, I think optimising our package will ultimately make the difference. It’s so difficult to get everything right at the right moment ahead of qualifying that, if we manage it, I think we’ll have a chance here.”
Getting the setup and operating conditions right has become a particularly important part of Ferrari’s recent progress. The SF-26 upgrades introduced in Austin delivered encouraging improvements, but Mexico presents a different challenge for the Italian team.
For Charles Leclerc, the priority is therefore not simply whether Ferrari has enough outright speed to fight its rivals, but whether the team can extract that performance when it matters most. The importance of qualifying execution can also be examined through the F1 qualifying pace and sector comparison, which provides a detailed view of lap times and sector performance.
Charles Leclerc addresses uncertainty over Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix
During the same press conference, Charles Leclerc was also asked about the possibility of Formula 1 completing its season with the planned races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. The Ferrari driver acknowledged that uncertainty remained and suggested that circumstances could change quickly.
“Will we race there? I think nobody knows at the moment. The situation can change from one day to the next. Things can escalate. At the moment, from what we’ve seen in MotoGP, it seems like the right decision, but I simply think these things can change from day to day.”
Charles Leclerc also stressed that the drivers are not responsible for determining whether the events should take place, arguing that those entrusted with making such decisions must accept responsibility for them.
“We’re not the ones making the decisions. Those who make them will obviously take full responsibility, so it’s really not for us to comment too much on the matter.”
For now, the immediate focus remains on the Mexico City Grand Prix, where Charles Leclerc will attempt to build on his consecutive second-place finishes. Ferrari’s recent progress has brought the team closer to the front, but the Monegasque remains cautious about its chances against Mercedes and Red Bull. If Ferrari can successfully optimise its package for qualifying, however, he believes another strong weekend is within reach.
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