According to Motorsport.com Italia, Ferrari has kicked off the Mexican Grand Prix weekend in familiar fashion, finishing both opening practice sessions at the head of the timesheets just as they did on Friday in Austin. The red machines immediately found a balanced setup without major flaws, giving the team a clean slate to refine the car. Yet, team boss Fred Vasseur is refusing to get carried away before qualifying lays out the true pecking order.
Running at over 3000 meters above sea level creates a unique environment where thin air drains downforce and complicates cooling for brakes and power units. Vasseur noted that the bumpy approach to turn 1 is particularly punishing, with front tires shedding temperature on the long straight and threatening lock-ups under braking. He even suggested the FIA might need to step in overnight to address the rough asphalt before it catches more drivers out.
It is true that the conditions are extremely different to what we normally face and, for the drivers, driving here in Mexico City with this level of downforce is a challenge.
Beyond the bumps, the extreme altitude alters how power units operate. Because the air is so thin, the turbo must spin faster to compensate, while the MGU-K must carefully balance energy deployment without draining the battery in the straightaways. Vasseur highlighted that a smaller turbo can actually turn into an asset here, helping minimize lag when exiting slow corners and getting back on the power.
Ferrari also opted to run fully closed front wheel covers and rims to bring the front tires up to temperature more rapidly on the cold, slippery asphalt. But Vasseur remains cautious about reading too much into Friday's pace, knowing that rivals will dial in their setups overnight and that fine margins will decide Saturday's grid.
“I don’t have to be confident or not. We have to work, we have to try to get the maximum for tomorrow,” Vasseur explained. “It is true that the conditions are extremely different to what we normally face and, for the drivers, driving here in Mexico City with this level of downforce is a challenge.”
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