The time for qualifying at the Mexican Grand Prix has arrived. Ferrari came into the session after finishing second and fourth in FP3, with Lewis Hamilton ahead of Charles Leclerc this time. However, both drivers were quite far from Lando Norris, who emerged as the favorite for both pole position and victory on Sunday. Despite that, the Ferrari SF-25 appeared capable of fighting for top positions once again at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
Mexican GP, Q1: solid performance from Ferrari
For the first stint, both Ferrari drivers went out on the Soft compound. Track conditions were extreme, with asphalt temperatures reaching 48°C, making initial tire warm-up management critical. After their preparation laps, both began to push: Lewis Hamilton made several small errors, particularly between the first and third sectors, while Charles Leclerc, although cleaner, found traffic at the end of his lap and could not complete a satisfying attempt.
Both then did two cool-down laps to bring tire temperatures back under control. Hamilton reported to the pit wall that he still lacked clear references for the correct thermal window of the tires. The British driver remained a bit off the pace, while Charles Leclerc, although not entirely satisfied with his lap, was only a tenth and a half away from the best time. On his next attempt, Hamilton had a brief power snap through the snake section in Sector 2, but still managed a clean lap that placed him sixth.
Charles Leclerc further improved his time by another tenth and a half. The SF-25 looked well balanced, although both cars lost some precision and traction in the middle sector. Over team radio, Bryan Bozzi suggested optimizing the transition between Turns 7 and 8 to reduce time loss in that area. After a brief stop in the garage, both Ferraris went out again for a final attempt with small setup tweaks.
Lewis Hamilton fitted a new set of Softs, while Charles Leclerc went out on used tires. Track position was ideal for both. Hamilton’s lap was generally solid, though a small slide at the exit of Turn 7 forced him to partially lift off the throttle, slightly affecting traction. Despite that, he managed to improve his time. Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, did not complete his final attempt, having already secured passage to the next stage with his earlier lap. Out in Q1 were Bortoleto, Albon, Gasly, Stroll, and Colapinto.
Mexican GP, Q2: the SF-25 continues to impress
Before tackling the second part of qualifying, it is worth noting that the SF-25’s balance remained virtually unchanged and overall quite convincing. In this phase, every small detail became decisive—especially the order of track entry, as the surface kept improving with every lap. Lewis Hamilton opted for a used set of Softs to assess grip evolution, while Charles Leclerc chose new tires, though he struggled to complete a fully clean lap.
The Monegasque made a few mistakes in the opening corners and failed to find ideal smoothness in the final sector, where he visibly corrected the steering several times. Both drivers returned to the pits to wait for the optimal track conditions for their decisive runs. When the session resumed, the situation was reversed: Hamilton switched to fresh tires, while Charles Leclerc went out on the same set he had used before.
The British driver carefully managed the warm-up phase to maximize grip. His lap was consistent and tidy through the first two sectors, with only a slight miss at Turn 13 where he failed to hit the apex perfectly. He still finished with a competitive time, just two-tenths behind Norris. Leclerc, despite Bozzi’s instruction to slow down, chose to complete his lap anyway, crossing the line before advancing to Q3. Eliminated in Q2 were Yuki Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon, Nico Hülkenberg, Fernando Alonso, and Liam Lawson.
Mexican GP, Q3: pole position just out of reach
The decisive part of qualifying began with Norris seemingly having the upper hand over a tightly packed group consisting of Leclerc, Russell, Hamilton, Piastri, and Verstappen—all in the fight for the front row. In such a close battle, every minor detail would matter, as the track continued to evolve and even the smallest improvement could shift grid positions.
Managing tire temperatures correctly and timing the final run to perfection were therefore crucial. Both Ferrari drivers waited in the garage while the mechanics precisely worked on activating the new Soft tires for their first Q3 attempts. Hamilton began his flying lap aggressively and set a strong time that initially placed him in third position.
Shortly after, Charles Leclerc responded with an even stronger lap to take the top spot, splitting the Ferraris with Norris in between. His engineer Bryan Bozzi praised him on the radio, noting that only Turns 7 and 16 still offered room for improvement. Charles Leclerc requested a slight front-end adjustment to increase downforce. For the moment, he was on provisional pole, although McLaren still seemed to have an edge in the first sector.
In the final runs, both SF-25s went out on brand-new tires. Lewis Hamilton made a small mistake at Turn 4 but completed an excellent lap, improving his time by several tenths. Charles Leclerc also bettered his mark, securing a spot on the front row alongside Norris. It was a highly encouraging result for Ferrari, which showed solid competitiveness without introducing any major technical updates. The Maranello team ended qualifying with a strong and convincing performance that confirms the SF-25’s growing consistency across different circuits.
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