In Mexico, Ferrari has laid the first brick for its Sunday success by placing both cars on the front row. In the pre-race briefing, they will study recent starts, aiming to fine-tune a strategy to fend off Verstappen’s assault in Turn 1. The endurance of the Scuderia Ferrari over the long distance remains a question mark, but maintaining the race lead could be the first step toward achieving victory and beating a Red Bull team that leans toward a two-stop strategy.
The first challenge lies in the 810 meters that separate the starting line from Turn 1’s braking point, a stretch where Max Verstappen has historically excelled. In 2017, he moved from second to first, just as he did in 2018. However, his masterpiece was in 2021 when he executed an outside overtake to pass both Mercedes drivers, Hamilton and Bottas. Last year, Max managed to maintain the lead after starting from pole position, fiercely defending his leadership. Only in 2019 did the top two grid position drivers swap places during the first corner, with both Ferrari drivers, poleman Charles Leclerc and his teammate Sebastian Vettel, emerging victorious.
In the pre-race briefing, Ferrari will analyze recent starts, attempting to devise a strategy to contain Verstappen’s attack, capitalizing on their specialty of Turn 1 braking. “We will discuss it,” Charles Leclerc explained after qualifying. “At the same time, it’s genuinely challenging to predict what will happen because a lot depends on the quality of the start. This season, we have generally had very good starts, so I am confident.”
Carlos Sainz stressed that starting from the second position, where the track has less rubber, presents some additional risks. “It can make a difference,” Carlos emphasized. “But, as Charles said, it’s challenging to make plans because so much depends on the initial acceleration. Max? He will go on the attack, and we will all try to follow his slipstream. I must say that the moment from the start to the first braking point is always a tense one.”
Once Turn 1 is behind them, the focus will shift to race pace. Red Bull has opted for a two-stop race, as indicated by the two sets of new hard tires (plus a set of mediums) kept by Verstappen and two sets of mediums (plus one set of hard) available for Perez. The rest of the top 10 starting grid will have only one set for each of the two compounds expected to be used during the 71 laps. However, the two-stop strategy remains uncertain, with much depending on potential safety car appearances or traffic situations that might prompt a second tire change. Sainz reminded, “Last year, everyone made one stop, using a set of C3 and a set of C4, which are the two sets available to us. However, this year, on several occasions, they were more challenging to manage. In FP2 and FP3, we saw graining on both the front and rear axles, which makes me think the race might be more complicated than it was a year ago.”
If we rely on the race simulations seen on Friday, Ferrari has some concerns. “With a high fuel load, we are not as competitive as in qualifying,” Carlos admitted. “Our car benefits from the advantages offered by new tires, but in the race, it will be different. We will see how we can preserve the tires. Having two cars at the front is an advantage nonetheless.” Carlos Sainz referred to the challenging tire temperature management, an issue that eases significantly when driving in clean air. “This is why a good start will be crucial,” Charles Leclerc confirmed. “If we can pull it off, it will work in our favor.”
However, neither of the two Ferrari drivers has any doubts about Verstappen’s role as the favorite. “This year, Max has been extremely strong in terms of race pace,” Charles Leclerc commented. “So, he can only be the favorite.” Carlos Sainz fully endorsed this stance: “Usually, Red Bull makes the difference during the race, but along with Charles, we will do everything we can to keep Max behind at the start. We will see what we can achieve. We have seen what we can accomplish over one lap, but it’s different over 71 laps.”
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