George Russell predicts key Ferrari "advantage" at F1 Mexican GP

Mercedes driver George Russell reckons Ferrari has "quite an advantage" at F1's Mexican Grand Prix with its turbo design, while Charles Leclerc still believes Mercedes has the best car "wherever we go".

Mexico's capital megalopolis sits on a 2250m plateau, which gives the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez one of the most unique engineering challenges. The lower-density air reduces aerodynamic performance and has major cooling headaches, but it may also reward Ferrari for some of the design decisions it made with its 2026 power unit.

Boasting a smaller diameter turbocharger compared to its rivals, the turbo's lower inertia allows it to spool up quicker, which has a compound effect when the air is much thinner at altitude and there is less exhaust energy available to begin with. The trade-off is a limit on peak horsepower compared to larger diameter turbines.

"I think it's going to be very interesting. I think turbo lag is going to be a big factor for a lot of teams this weekend," Russell pointed out. "There's obviously no secret that the likes of Ferrari have a smaller turbo than most, so they probably have quite an advantage in this regard. We're not sure as yet how challenging it will be, but I can definitely foresee it being not straightforward."

Ferrari's Leclerc was quick to play down his team's favourite tag, coming after a series of wins for Max Verstappen in the significantly improved Red Bull and a victory in Austin for champion-elect Kimi Antonelli in the Mercedes.

Ferrari, which also introduced significant upgrades last weekend, hasn't won a grand prix since Leclerc triumphed at July's British Grand Prix in Silverstone.

"Honestly, I think it's getting very close, and we have good momentum," Leclerc said. "With Singapore and Austin as well, we've maximised our potential, and I was relatively happy with the pace we've shown.

Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

"Whether we are the favourites for this weekend, I don't fully agree. I think Mercedes remains the favourite wherever we go. Red Bull are very, very strong as well recently. But if we maximise everything we have, then I hope it can be a great weekend for us."

Ferrari has developed a habit of being very strong at getting up to speed quickly during Friday practice, only to be overhauled by its rivals when it matters in qualifying. So, with F1's four top teams as close as they have been all season on pure pace, Leclerc acknowledged that executing a clean qualifying session is crucial to avoid a repeat.

"As we've seen, I think the optimisation of our package is what will eventually make the most difference," Leclerc pondered. "It's so difficult to put everything in the right window coming into qualifying that, if we manage to do so, I think we've got a chance here."

Formula 1Five things to look out for at the F1 Mexico GP

Formula 1George Russell on F1 title loss: 'This year won't break me'

Ferrari's turbo choice was partly driven by the need to spool up at the start of a race without assistance from an MGU-H system, which was shelved for the 2026 regulations. A smaller turbo would theoretically have allowed the squad to execute the complicated 2026 start procedure more consistently, but an eleventh-hour change to the procedures by the FIA on safety grounds negated some of Ferrari's advantage.

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

- The Motorsport.com Team