Hamilton Upbeat on Ferrari Pace in Mexico Despite FP2 Power Setback

Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari is competitive for the Mexico City Grand Prix, despite a power-related problem cutting his FP2 short and costing valuable long-run data.

Why it matters:

Ferrari showed early pace, with Charles Leclerc fastest in both sessions, but Hamilton’s interrupted Friday leaves a thinner read on race performance. At a high-altitude circuit where overtaking is difficult, lost track time can be costly.

The details:

• Hamilton was classified 11th after stopping on track, having felt happier with the SF-26’s balance before the issue.
• He had already missed half of FP1 because Ferrari used his car for rake testing, making FP2 his main preparation.
• Leclerc ended FP2 0.103s clear, confirming Ferrari’s one-lap speed but also the tight margins.
• Fred Vasseur said Ferrari will “take a decision tonight” on the fix, warning Mexico’s conditions and small gaps make the weekend hard to predict.
• Hamilton saw no need for major set-up changes, though missing long runs leave questions over race pace.

What's next:

Ferrari must diagnose and correct the problem before final practice and qualifying. If Hamilton’s car runs cleanly, his confidence suggests he can be in the mix; if not, a strong Friday could become damage limitation.