Ferrari's Mexico Upgrade Leaves No Room for a Reserve Driver in FP1

Ferrari is set to buck the Mexico City FP1 trend by running both race drivers rather than a reserve, with Ted Kravitz and Bernie Collins pointing to the team’s upgrade workload as the reason. The Scuderia wants maximum feedback from Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton on its new package, and that priority outweighs the usual reserve-driver run.

Why it matters:

Mexico City’s opening session is a crucial test bed. Altitude, thin air and low grip make correlation difficult, so Ferrari needs known references—not a stand-in—to judge whether its upgrade behaves as expected. With only one hour of practice before the weekend settles, every lap from a race driver carries more value.

The details:

• Ferrari will be the only team not using a reserve driver in P1, according to Kravitz and Collins.
• The decision is tied directly to the upgrade: both race drivers are needed to compare old and new parts and validate wind-tunnel data.
• Reserve drivers can collect useful tyre and baseline data, but their feedback is less relevant when a team is chasing setup direction on a new package.
• Mexico’s unique conditions add risk. A good read in FP1 can shape the entire weekend; a wrong turn can leave Ferrari chasing balance.

What's next:

Ferrari’s FP1 run plan will be watched closely. If the upgrade delivers a clear signal, the unusual driver choice will look justified. If not, the team may have spent a valuable session without the extra data a reserve could have provided.