Ferrari appears to have an advantage at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, with Jamie Chadwick praising how well the SF-26 is working at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. However, the Sky Sports F1 analyst also identified an important distinction after the second free practice session: Charles Leclerc appears comfortable with the car, while the same level of competitiveness has not been evident from Lewis Hamilton.
The assessment follows an encouraging Friday for the Scuderia, with Charles Leclerc setting the fastest time in both practice sessions. Although the Monegasque retained first place in FP2, the gap to Ferrari’s closest rivals narrowed considerably, suggesting that the battle at the front could be much tighter than the opening session initially indicated.
Jamie Chadwick explains why Ferrari’s Mexico GP package is working well
Speaking on Sky Sports F1 after FP2, Jamie Chadwick suggested that Ferrari had emerged as the team with the apparent advantage, although its rivals had made significant progress between the two sessions.
“Ferrari look like the ones with the advantage, but it closed a lot from what we saw in first practice,” the analyst explained.
She also suggested that the SF-26’s strong performance was understandable when considering the characteristics of the circuit, even if Ferrari had not necessarily arrived in Mexico as the obvious favourite.
“Their package seems to be working really well here. Coming into the weekend you question why they are the favourites but when you look at the track and the layout, it makes sense, so it’s not a surprise.”
Her comments point to an encouraging relationship between Ferrari’s current package and the demands of the Mexican circuit. However, they do not establish which individual aerodynamic or mechanical characteristics are responsible for the performance.
The promising start is particularly relevant after Ferrari approached the event with questions surrounding how the SF-26 would adapt to the Mexico City Grand Prix, following its encouraging showing in Austin.
Charles Leclerc looks comfortable, but Lewis Hamilton is not showing the same pace
Despite Ferrari’s encouraging overall performance, Jamie Chadwick was careful to distinguish between the two drivers rather than treating the team’s Friday advantage as evidence that both cars were equally competitive.
“But, it’s not both cars that are competitive. Charles seems to have a good feeling with the car.”
That distinction is reflected in the FP2 classification. Charles Leclerc topped the session with a 1:17.827, finishing 0.103 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and 0.106 seconds clear of Mercedes driver George Russell.
Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, finished 11th, 0.685 seconds behind his teammate. His session was also interrupted by a power unit problem, making it difficult to draw a definitive conclusion about his underlying pace from the final classification alone.
The contrast nevertheless reinforces the central point of Jamie Chadwick’s assessment: Ferrari has shown encouraging potential in Mexico, but Charles Leclerc has so far been the driver best placed to exploit it.
Ferrari’s Friday advantage faces a closer challenge ahead of qualifying
One of the most significant developments between the two Friday sessions was the reduction in Ferrari’s advantage over its closest competitors. Charles Leclerc remained fastest, but the small gaps separating the leading drivers in FP2 suggest that the Scuderia cannot assume its early advantage will translate directly into qualifying superiority.
Ferrari also entered the weekend aware of the circuit’s particular demands, with team principal Fred Vasseur having highlighted cooling and grip as important challenges ahead of the event.
Further running will therefore be important in establishing whether the SF-26 can maintain its promising performance as the weekend develops. The relative strength of the leading teams can also be explored through the F1 practice and long-run analysis, which provides additional context beyond individual headline lap times.
For now, Jamie Chadwick’s assessment offers both encouragement and caution for Ferrari. The package appears well suited to Mexico, and Charles Leclerc has established himself at the front of the field, but the narrowing margins and different fortunes of the two Ferrari drivers leave important questions to answer before qualifying.
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