Charles Leclerc admitted he was angry with himself after qualifying third for the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, having failed to improve on his final Q3 attempt. The Ferrari driver had held provisional pole position after the opening runs, but was eventually beaten by teammate Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes driver George Russell. Despite his frustration, Charles Leclerc is already looking towards the race, where the long run to Turn 1 could offer an opportunity to benefit from Lewis Hamilton’s slipstream.
Charles Leclerc frustrated after missing Mexico GP pole position
Charles Leclerc made no attempt to disguise his disappointment after finishing third in qualifying at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The Monegasque had been fastest after the first Q3 runs, but Lewis Hamilton and George Russell subsequently moved ahead of him as he failed to improve on his final flying lap. His frustration centred on not extracting everything from the tyres when it mattered most in the fight for pole position.
Tyre preparation costs Charles Leclerc in final Q3 attempt
As had already happened during the previous race weekend in Austin, Charles Leclerc struggled to bring his tyres into the correct operating window. The Ferrari driver accepted responsibility for the missed opportunity rather than blaming the car or the conditions.
“I didn’t do a good enough job. Tyre preparation is fundamental. But in the end, when I had a clean out-lap, on my second attempt in Q3 I didn’t manage to do what I needed to do, so I can only be angry with myself.”
His frustration was also clearly evident in his team radio conversation with the Ferrari pit wall at the end of qualifying. The difference between the two Ferrari drivers’ final attempts can be examined further through the F1 qualifying pace and sector comparison.
Leclerc warns overtaking could be difficult at Mexico City GP
Despite the disappointment of qualifying, Charles Leclerc is already focused on Sunday’s Grand Prix. He believes Ferrari has a competitive car and encouraging race pace, although he is concerned that overtaking could be particularly difficult at the Mexican circuit.
“The pace is good, the car is working well and it has been good since FP1. However, I doubt there will be much overtaking tomorrow. I tried Overtake Mode in FP2, but it doesn’t seem very effective to me. Whatever position we’re in after Turn 3, it will be difficult to overtake afterwards. So it’s a shame I wasn’t able to do what I needed to do when it mattered.”
Track position could therefore become particularly important, with the opening corners potentially shaping the remainder of the race. Ferrari’s recent progress has been encouraging, although the SF-26’s performance characteristics in Mexico have presented the team with a different set of challenges compared with Austin.
Could Lewis Hamilton give Charles Leclerc a slipstream into Turn 1?
During the FIA press conference, Charles Leclerc was asked about the exceptionally long run from the starting grid to the first corner and whether he could benefit from a slipstream behind pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton, who will start directly ahead of him.
“Yes. I mean, I’ll keep my head down and see what’s possible. Turn 1 is always exciting, and we’ll see how it goes.”
With Lewis Hamilton on pole and Charles Leclerc starting third, Ferrari faces an intriguing opening phase of the Mexico City Grand Prix. The possibility of a slipstream could provide an opportunity for the Monegasque, but the two teammates will also need to navigate the first corners carefully. Their previous close battle at Austin illustrated the importance of managing on-track competition between the Ferrari drivers.
For Charles Leclerc, the disappointment of missing pole position remains, particularly given his belief in the car’s performance. However, the opening lap offers an opportunity to improve on third place before the difficulties of overtaking become a factor.
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