Ferrari aero-mechanical compromise benefits sectors 1 and 2: Mexico GP FP2 telemetry data

Scuderia Ferrari is taking things seriously. This approach in Formula 1 pays off only when the team has the means to execute it. The Maranello team arrived in Mexico at the 4.304-kilometre Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City to fuel the learning curve that, after the autumn break, has brought the red car marked for 2025 back to the top. In the early practice sessions for the Mexican Grand Prix, the Italian cars showcased a setup optimized for the medium-slow corners that characterize the first sector and the final straight of the circuit in the stadium. In these areas, at medium and low speeds, the SF-24 has shown particular effectiveness on the curbs.

It has managed to fully exploit these to improve handling and consequently expand the setup window. The SF-24 car can cut the corners substantially by riding the curbs, thanks to a suspension configuration aimed at providing strong mechanical grip. This approach is similar to what was seen in the previous F1 Grand Prix in Texas: Ferrari started by focusing on suspension, then sought the right rigidity balance to keep the floor in its optimal operating window. However, during the first free practice session, a few issues arose.

Ferrari encountered some difficulties in the middle sector, where high-speed corners demand significant stability. To improve performance, the Italian technicians lowered the car’s ride height to maximize the aerodynamics of the floor. However, this choice caused the floor to scrape a bit too much on the reference plane, signifying optimal grip but also potentially indicating an overly extreme setup for some parts of the circuit. For this weekend, Ferrari has opted for a high-downforce configuration.

This setup references the package introduced in the Monaco Grand Prix. Despite the fact that the downforce is very strong, the car’s balance suffers from a slight instability caused by a less stable floor, which generates less consistent downforce in certain conditions. This trait, in particular, is noticeable in high-speed directional changes, where the SF-24 performs well but lacks precision. McLaren, on the other hand, has shown a similar level of competitiveness, especially on single laps, with nearly identical times.

Therefore, Ferrari and McLaren seem to be the ones who will compete for first position this weekend. If the Woking team can perfect its performance between turns 1 and 3, it may challenge Ferrari for the top spot. McLaren opted for a slightly stiffer setup, oriented to optimize the high-speed central sector. This compromise sacrifices some performance in the first and third sectors. Conversely, Ferrari benefits from a better front-end response and a stronger connection between the front and rear axles, resulting in greater overall balance for the F1 car.

The papaya-colored cars have less balance but manage to achieve very good traction on exit phases. The stadium corners are very favorable for the MCL38, where Ferrari loses a tenth. Overall, McLaren doesn’t look very strong in terms of top speed. We will see if it is an issue with the power unit mappings or something else. If so, they may need to slightly reduce the rear wing angle. Additionally, Oscar Piastri was using the new floor specification. Its design has been deeply revised with geometric modifications in all areas.

This update is expected to increase aerodynamic downforce in all conditions. Lando Norris, although still running the old specification to provide a direct comparison between the old and new versions, did not show performance differing from his teammate, and the anticipated step forward doesn’t seem to have materialized yet. McLaren still has work to do to make this solution function properly and to achieve the so-called “match” between simulation environment and on-track reality. Finally, Mercedes appears quite behind.

Once again, the W15 seems unable to find what’s commonly called the “sweet spot”, that is, the optimal operating point of the Formula 1 car. The Brackley team is losing some balance, especially in race pace. On single laps, they manage to find a window where the car performs well, although this window remains narrow and difficult to hit. Generally, we saw a front end that wasn’t in sync with the rear. The entry was decent, but on exit, the rear tended to slide outward.

Handling over the curbs was also far from ideal, as the German F1 car takes too long to stabilize and regain grip when coming off the curbs, with the rear end taking time to settle. The only one missing is Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The Dutch driver’s feedback is crucial for the Milton Keynes team, as Sergio Perez remains an unreliable benchmark. The gap between the two in terms of speed is too significant, and even though Checo is racing in his home Grand Prix, it seems that his performance this weekend is again underwhelming.