Hamilton reflects on 'really unfortunate' FP2 stoppage in Mexico

Lewis Hamilton has revealed that Ferrari are “still investigating” the power-related issue that forced him to stop during FP2 at the Mexico City Grand Prix, leaving the Briton cautious ahead of qualifying. Hamilton had been fourth in the opening session behind Charles Leclerc and the Mercedes pair of Kimi Antonelli and Fred Vesti, but his running in the second hour ended early and left him P11 on the timesheets.

Why it matters:

Ferrari need a clean weekend at a circuit where overtaking is difficult and altitude puts extra strain on power units. Leclerc topped both sessions, but his advantage shrank from nearly seven tenths to 0.103s, underlining how tight the field is.

The details:

• Hamilton said he felt “really good” in the car before the stoppage and believed Ferrari had improved the set-up.
• He missed part of FP1 because Ferrari ran an aero rake on his SF-26, meaning his preparation has been limited.
• Vasseur said the team will “take a decision tonight” on the fix, adding that Mexico’s conditions are “quite extreme”.
• Despite the lost long-run data, Hamilton expects few set-up changes: “We were very quick.”

What's next:

Ferrari must diagnose the issue before FP3 and qualifying. If Hamilton’s car is healthy, his single-lap pace suggests he can fight near the front—but reliability is now the immediate concern.