Grand Prix is being viewed inside Ferrari as a true “acid test” that will reveal whether the team’s latest technical upgrades are truly effective.
Ferrari’s race in Austin marked a return to form after several difficult weekends. Charles Leclerc finally climbed back onto the podium for the first time in six rounds, securing a well-deserved third place. His teammate Lewis Hamilton also enjoyed his best result in seven races, crossing the finish line in fourth and fending off McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by just 1.142 seconds. The performance suggested a step forward for the Scuderia, but also highlighted areas still in need of improvement.
Before the race, Charles Leclerc had expressed some apprehension about starting on the soft tyre compound. Ferrari’s strategists had made the call believing it would give him the best chance to attack McLaren’s Lando Norris off the line. The choice paid off initially, as Leclerc managed to challenge Norris early on, although the British driver eventually regained second place on lap 51 of 56 when Charles Leclerc’s medium tyres began to degrade.
From the Circuit of the Americas, Ferrari immediately travelled to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez for round 20 of the 2025 Formula 1 season. The team knows the Mexican race presents a unique technical challenge due to its altitude and demanding layout. It also marks exactly one year since Ferrari’s last Grand Prix victory — Carlos Sainz’s triumph at the 2024 Mexico City GP — making the event a symbolic test of progress for the Italian team.
Ferrari prepares for an “acid test” of its new braking solution
Ferrari will bring a modified braking system to the Mexico City Grand Prix, designed to address the recurring overheating issues that have plagued the SF-25 in recent races. The changes come after Lewis Hamilton’s front-left brake failure late in the Singapore Grand Prix, an issue that cost him over 51 seconds to Fernando Alonso between laps 59 and 62 as he struggled to bring the car home.
Charles Leclerc also faced brake management problems in Singapore, being forced to lift and coast from as early as lap seven to prevent overheating. For this reason, he has reportedly described the Mexico weekend as a decisive test of Ferrari’s quick-fix solution. If it performs well under the extreme conditions of Mexico City, it could prove that the team’s engineers have successfully resolved one of their most persistent weaknesses.
Charles Leclerc pointed out that aerodynamic tuning in Mexico is particularly complex due to the circuit’s elevation, which sits over 2,200 metres above sea level. He explained that because of the thinner air, the brakes are under tremendous strain throughout the lap, operating near their limits for much of the race distance. Ferrari’s engineers have therefore introduced subtle but crucial modifications in the brake ducts and cooling systems in hopes of maintaining stable temperatures.
The Monegasque driver believes that Mexico’s conditions will provide a clear indication of whether Ferrari has made genuine progress. Internally, the Scuderia sees this as a benchmark event that could define the next phase of their season.
The highest-altitude race of the 2025 Formula 1 calendar
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez is unlike any other circuit on the F1 calendar. Located at 2,240 metres (7,349 feet) above sea level, it is the highest-altitude race of the 2025 season. In comparison, the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos takes place at an altitude of just 780 metres (2,559 feet), making Mexico City’s conditions uniquely challenging.
The thin air has a significant effect on every aspect of an F1 car’s performance. With lower air density, aerodynamic efficiency is drastically reduced, forcing teams to run high-downforce configurations to generate enough grip. This is counterintuitive, considering that the Mexico circuit also features one of the longest straights of the season — the 1,270-metre pit straight — where drag reduction would normally be a priority.
Cooling is another major concern. Because of the reduced oxygen levels, airflow through radiators, brake ducts, and other cooling components is less effective. To compensate, teams typically enlarge openings in the bodywork and make aggressive adjustments to maintain safe operating temperatures. Ferrari, however, has taken things a step further by introducing new brake components specifically designed to avoid a repeat of the overheating problems that struck both cars in Singapore.
Learning from Singapore and looking ahead
At Marina Bay, Ferrari’s engineers admitted they had gone too far in pushing for aerodynamic efficiency, leading to insufficient airflow through the brake ducts. The resulting overheating compromised both Leclerc and Hamilton throughout the race. Since then, the team has analysed its data to understand exactly where its calculations went wrong, revising both the car’s setup philosophy and component design.
The Mexico City Grand Prix will therefore serve not only as a performance test but also as a reliability check under extreme thermal and aerodynamic stress. The conditions at altitude will magnify any weaknesses in the SF-25’s cooling systems, braking materials, or aerodynamic balance. A clean race for both drivers would confirm that Ferrari’s modifications are working and that the team can move forward confidently into the final stretch of the season.
For Charles Leclerc, the upcoming race represents an opportunity to consolidate his form after returning to the podium. For Lewis Hamilton, it is another chance to build momentum and close in on his first top-three finish for Ferrari — a result that continues to elude him despite several promising weekends.
Ferrari enters the Mexico City Grand Prix aware that the thin air, high temperatures, and heavy braking zones could expose any remaining weaknesses. But if their revised cooling package performs as intended, it could mark a turning point in their 2025 campaign — transforming what has been a year of mixed fortunes into a foundation for renewed competitiveness.
Leave a Reply