Ferrari emerged from Friday’s practice sessions at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix with encouraging signs, as Charles Leclerc again set the pace in FP2 and the SF-26 demonstrated impressive braking performance and mechanical grip. However, the telemetry also revealed an exceptionally close contest between Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull, with six drivers separated by roughly a tenth of a second in their race-pace simulations.
The biggest question heading into qualifying is whether Ferrari can maintain its advantage when all four leading teams turn up their power units. At more than 2,200 metres above sea level, the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez presents unusual reliability and cooling demands, encouraging conservative engine settings during Friday running. Potential power-unit changes between sessions add another uncertainty, meaning the true performance hierarchy may only become clear when maximum performance is required in qualifying.
Ferrari Mexico GP FP2 telemetry reveals strong braking performance
One of the most striking features of the Friday data was the sustained speed plateau of around 350 km/h on the main straight. The thinner air at Mexico City’s altitude produces significantly less aerodynamic drag than usual, helping the cars maintain such high speeds despite the demands of the circuit.
For Ferrari, the single-lap picture remains encouraging regardless of tyre condition. Whether running on fresh or used tyres, the SF-26 appears effective and well balanced, with Charles Leclerc able to extract strong performance. There were some differences compared with FP1, particularly through the opening part of the sweeping sequence of corners, where Ferrari had looked more convincing earlier in the day. However, Charles Leclerc completed his lap on heavily used tyres, leaving the overall assessment firmly positive.
The clearest advantage comes under braking. Charles Leclerc gains the small margins separating him from his rivals into Turns 1, 4 and 12, confirming a strength of the Ferrari already apparent at recent races. The front end is responsive, while the rear still provides good grip. Although the SF-26 can occasionally look unsettled at the rear in onboard footage, that behaviour must be judged in the context of Mexico City’s altitude, where the reduced air density leaves the cars with less aerodynamic downforce.
Why Ferrari’s mechanical setup suits the Mexican circuit
Another particularly interesting detail is Ferrari’s apparently relatively soft mechanical setup. The SF-26 rides the kerbs effectively, even when they are particularly high, suggesting that its suspension characteristics are helping the drivers maintain contact and grip through demanding sections.
This helps explain why Ferrari performs well in slower corners and maintains effective traction despite its familiar power deficit. Both characteristics are especially valuable in Mexico, where mechanical grip plays a central role in determining lap time. Ferrari’s braking and cornering strengths also build on the positive signs from its recent SF-26 upgrades and the challenges posed by Mexico.
Crucially, the Ferrari can rotate through slow corners despite its relatively soft setup, without requiring excessive rear-end sliding. That could become a significant advantage in controlling rear tyre temperatures, which are expected to face considerable stress both over a qualifying lap and, even more importantly, during the race.
McLaren emerges as Ferrari’s closest rival while Red Bull struggles in slow corners
Ferrari’s advantage nevertheless remains extremely small. McLaren appears to have recovered much of the competitiveness and ease of driving that had been missing over recent race weekends. Judging by Friday’s data, the Woking-based team currently looks like Ferrari’s closest challenger, with a car that appears considerably more comfortable than it has in recent events.
The situation is different for Red Bull. Although the car should have more potential than it has demonstrated so far, it still appeared some distance from its ideal operating window in FP2. Its biggest difficulties are concentrated in the slow-speed corners, while it limits the losses through faster sections partly thanks to effective energy deployment in the second half of the sweeping corner sequence.
In recent races, Max Verstappen has often compensated for slow-corner weaknesses through his driving. Mexico presents a more demanding challenge because many of its slower corners come in sequences rather than in isolation, making the problem particularly pronounced. The question now is how much Red Bull can improve its setup and whether Max Verstappen can make enough of a difference behind the wheel.
Mercedes W17 shows speed but rear suspension stiffness raises tyre concerns
Mercedes also appears firmly involved in the battle at the front. The W17 seems to possess a sufficiently broad setup window for both George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli to perform well, an encouraging indication of the car’s underlying competitiveness.
However, the telemetry and on-track behaviour suggest considerable mechanical stiffness, particularly at the rear. Mercedes appears to be using its rear mechanical configuration, potentially including differential adjustments, to encourage rotation and counteract understeer in slow corners. At lower speeds, where aerodynamic assistance is reduced, these mechanical characteristics become especially influential.
The approach is understandable, but it could carry a penalty in rear tyre temperatures over a full race distance. Mercedes may therefore face a difficult balance between maintaining responsiveness through the slower sections and protecting the rear tyres during longer stints.
Mexico GP race pace: Six drivers separated by just one tenth
The race simulations provided perhaps the most remarkable finding of Friday practice. Despite different tyre programmes, the average lap-time references for six drivers were effectively covered by just one tenth of a second, suggesting that the leading teams are extremely closely matched.
Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and George Russell conducted their runs on Soft tyres, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc used Mediums. Isack Hadjar ran on both compounds. Despite those differences, the average pace remained almost identical, while the degradation curves also appeared remarkably similar once the effects of traffic were taken into account.
These are encouraging signs for a competitive race, although the differing compounds and run conditions mean that Friday’s times cannot establish a definitive pecking order. The close performance can be explored further through the F1 practice and long-run data, which provides additional context for comparing practice stints.
One factor could nevertheless make the race more complicated: overtaking has appeared particularly difficult. With such small differences between the cars, qualifying positions, the start and strategic decisions could become decisive in determining the final result.
Why qualifying and tyre management could decide Ferrari’s Mexico GP
There are still several important uncertainties before the competitive picture becomes clear. Tyre management with a full fuel load could create meaningful differences over longer stints, while track evolution and the final setup decisions ahead of qualifying may also alter the order.
The unique demands of Mexico City’s altitude only add to the challenge. Ferrari had already been warned about the combination of cooling and grip difficulties at the 2026 Mexico GP, and Friday’s running has underlined how important it will be to find the right compromise.
For now, Ferrari has good reason to be satisfied. Charles Leclerc has shown that the SF-26 can be exceptionally effective under braking, while its mechanical setup appears well suited to the Mexican circuit. But with McLaren close behind, Mercedes showing strong potential and Red Bull still searching for improvements, nobody has demonstrated a sufficiently large advantage to feel comfortable.
And despite the potential difficulties with overtaking, the remarkably small margins suggest that the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix could deliver a fascinating battle throughout the weekend.
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