Scuderia Ferrari delivered a weekend of mixed emotions at the Mexican Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc securing a hard-fought second place finish and Lewis Hamilton demonstrating resilience through adversity to claim eighth.
The race unfolded under sunny skies and high track temperatures, setting the stage for an intense 71-lap battle at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Leclerc, starting from P2, maintained his position off the line and executed a one-stop strategy, switching from Soft to Medium tires on Lap 31. Despite pressure from Max Verstappen in the closing laps, Leclerc held firm, aided by a Virtual Safety Car triggered by Carlos Sainz’s retirement.
“This marks our seventh podium of the season and my 50th career podium,” said Leclerc. “We didn’t expect to replicate Austin, but we delivered another strong weekend. The VSC helped when Max was closing in, and the support from fans here in Mexico was absolutely incredible.”
Hamilton, who started P3, was involved in a tense early battle with Verstappen. A Lap 6 incident led to a 10-second penalty for Hamilton, who was deemed to have gained an advantage by leaving the track. He served the penalty during his first pit stop on Lap 23, rejoining in P14. Despite the setback, Hamilton climbed back through the field, making a second stop for Softs on Lap 47 and finishing P8.
“Today didn’t go the way I hoped,” Hamilton shared. “The Medium stint was tough, and the penalty changed the race. Still, the car felt good all weekend, and I’m looking forward to Brazil—it’s one of my favorite places to race.”
Team Principal Fred Vasseur praised the team’s overall performance and strategy execution:
“We had strong race pace and a solid qualifying. Charles did a great job defending, and Lewis showed determination despite the penalty. We’re building momentum heading into Brazil. I also want to congratulate Ollie Bearman from our Driver Academy for a flawless weekend and scoring points with his team.”