Ferrari ended the third free practice session for the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix with Charles Leclerc third, just 0.117 seconds behind Lando Norris, who set the fastest lap in 1:17.600. Lewis Hamilton finished sixth, 0.465 seconds off the pace, as the SF-26 struggled to reproduce its impressive medium-tyre performance once the soft compound was fitted. The final session before qualifying exposed unexpected handling difficulties for both Ferrari drivers.
Ferrari had shown encouraging competitiveness throughout Friday in Mexico, both over a single lap and on longer runs. The unusual conditions created by the circuit’s altitude and low grip appeared to highlight the strengths of the SF-26 chassis, one of the car’s major assets in 2026. However, the contrast between Ferrari’s pace on medium and soft tyres in FP3 has raised an important question ahead of qualifying: can the team bring its tyres into the correct operating window when it matters most?
Ferrari’s strong Friday pace and Lewis Hamilton’s engine concerns
Charles Leclerc topped both Friday practice sessions, once again demonstrating his excellent understanding of the SF-26. The Monegasque has recently explained that he has unlocked something in his driving and set-up approach over the last few races, allowing him to extract more of the car’s available potential.
Lewis Hamilton experienced a more complicated Friday, partly because an engine-related issue cost him track time during FP2. According to AutoRacer.it, the malfunction leaves some uncertainty surrounding the British driver’s car. Ferrari identified irregularities in the sensor readings and decided to replace the power unit as a precaution.
Lewis Hamilton was expected to use the ADUO 2 specification on Saturday, although it remains unclear which specification was fitted to his Ferrari on Friday. The interruption added to his preparation challenges ahead of the final practice session and qualifying.
Ferrari leads Mexico GP FP3 on medium tyres before soft-compound problems emerge
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton began FP3 on medium tyres, following the same approach as the other leading teams. Both Ferrari drivers made mistakes on their opening flying laps as they struggled with the particularly dirty track surface and the limited available grip.
By his second attempt, however, Charles Leclerc had moved to the top of the timesheets, setting a lap just 0.034 seconds quicker than Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Lewis Hamilton then improved his own benchmark to 1:18.268, confirming the encouraging balance and greater rear-end stability displayed by the SF-26 on the medium compound.
After approximately 25 minutes, Ferrari brought both cars back into the garage to switch to soft tyres. At that point, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton occupied first and second positions, separated by just 0.010 seconds, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli was 0.261 seconds behind the leader.
The strong initial performance highlighted the competitiveness already seen in Ferrari’s recent development programme, although the specific demands of the Mexico City circuit continued to present a different challenge for the SF-26.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton struggle with oversteer on soft tyres
Before returning to the track, Ferrari made brief rear-end set-up adjustments to both cars, while Charles Leclerc’s SF-26 also received changes to the braking system. The two drivers resumed running with approximately 13 minutes remaining, but the car’s behaviour was markedly different on the softer compound.
Charles Leclerc made another mistake on his first flying lap, this time through the Snake section, forcing him to abandon the attempt. Both Ferrari drivers encountered considerable oversteer on the soft tyres, making the SF-26 difficult to control. It was a striking contrast to the stable and predictable handling displayed earlier in the weekend.
Charles Leclerc managed to recover some performance across his following two laps, eventually securing third place in the session. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, continued to struggle. The seven-time world champion ran wide at Turn 1 and later came close to losing the rear of his Ferrari under acceleration out of the final corner, bringing the car dangerously close to the wall.
The session demonstrated how sensitive Ferrari’s performance could be to tyre behaviour. Finding the correct operating window and achieving the required temperatures will be crucial to extracting the maximum performance from the soft compound over a qualifying lap.
What Ferrari needs to solve before Mexico GP qualifying
Ferrari’s third practice session ended with Charles Leclerc in P3, 0.117 seconds behind Lando Norris, while Lewis Hamilton finished P6, 0.465 seconds away from the fastest lap. Although those final positions were less impressive than the team’s initial medium-tyre performance, the underlying speed shown earlier in the session provided some encouragement.
The most pressing concern is the SF-26’s abrupt change in behaviour between compounds. Ferrari appeared comfortable and competitive on the mediums, but both drivers struggled to keep the car under control on softs. The difficulty of reaching the correct tyre temperatures and maintaining the ideal balance will therefore be central to the team’s qualifying preparations.
Ferrari’s performance across the three practice sessions can also be examined through the F1 practice and long-run analysis, which allows comparisons of lap times and practice pace between drivers.
For Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, the objective ahead of qualifying is to reproduce the confidence and stability demonstrated on medium tyres while extracting the additional performance available from the soft compound. Ferrari has shown that its SF-26 can be competitive in Mexico, but the decisive challenge will be delivering that speed consistently when the cars switch to qualifying conditions.
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