Mexican Grand Prix – Charles Leclerc, very far, too far
The Ferrari driver had a complicated weekend in Mexico. Being outperformed by the Red Bulls and the Mercedes, the Monegasque finished the race in sixth place, behind his teammate Carlos Sainz.
How far away those races are where Charles Leclerc was fighting for first place with Max Verstappen! Deprived of victory since mid-July and his success in Austria, the Ferrari driver hoped to get closer to the lead in Mexico after his fine third place at the United States Grand Prix a week ago.
The weekend had started well for the Monegasque. Having set the second fastest time in the first free practice session behind his teammate, Leclerc could have had high hopes for the rest of the events. However, this was not the case as in the following session, the Ferrari number 16 prematurely ended its Friday in the wall.
The next day, Leclerc could only manage 7th place in qualifying, notably beaten by Valtteri Bottas’ Alfa Romeo. In the race, thanks to a good start, he was able to overtake the Finn before experiencing a difficult and discreet race. Too far from the Red Bulls and the Mercedes, comfortably positioned ahead of the rest of the pack, the Monegasque driver couldn’t hope for anything better than a Top 6 finish in Mexico.
Always on the podium since the Grand Prix of the Netherlands, this sixth place marks the end of a series of five consecutive races finished on the podium. But what is hard to swallow is the colossal gap at the finish compared to the winner of the day, Max Verstappen. Crossing the finish line one minute and eight seconds after the Dutchman, Leclerc had a hard time accepting this heavy defeat.
It hurts. We encountered difficulties with the engine throughout the weekend. The DRS was broken yesterday at the end of Q3, but today it was working. A one-minute gap is really a lot. The issues with the engine don’t explain everything.
Overtaken by Pérez for second place in the championship, Leclerc is now trailing the Mexican driver by five points.
