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Vasseur Shares Winning Take on Ferrari’s Strong Mexico Finish
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Highlights
- Leclerc finished second at 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix
- Lewis Hamilton started third but ended eighth after penalty
- Hamilton received a 10-second penalty for cutting Turn 4
- Ferrari struggled with cooling balance on Mexico’s high-altitude track
- Team Principal Vasseur praised drivers’ pace despite race challenges
- Next race: 2025 Brazilian Grand Prix aiming for strong results
Ferrari leave the Mexico City Grand Prix with a podium, Charles Leclerc finishing second at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Fred Vasseur calls the weekend broadly positive.
Leclerc maintains strong pace across 71 laps, resisting a late Max Verstappen challenge. It is his second consecutive podium, reinforcing Ferrari’s competitive trend.
Both Ferrari drivers qualify second and third, with Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton pressuring winner Lando Norris at the start. Without pole, overtaking proves limited and shapes strategy.
Vasseur says Ferrari’s single-lap and race pace is strong, but Norris holds the edge over longer stints. That pace delta ultimately decides the victory.
Hamilton finishes eighth after a 10-second penalty for cutting Turn 4 against Verstappen. The sanction reduces Ferrari’s haul and blunts a promising starting position.
Hamilton receives a 10-second penalty for gaining a lasting advantage at Turn 4, dropping him to eighth.
Vasseur describes the call as costly and unusual, noting few comparable precedents. The episode underlines how fine margins influence outcomes.
High altitude and bumps amplify cooling demands in Mexico. Ferrari juggle temperatures, downforce levels, and tyre life while safeguarding brake performance throughout the stints.
Past sensitivities, including brake management in Singapore, inform Ferrari’s approach. Traffic patterns and weather introduce uncertainty in cooling targets and race execution.
Mexico’s altitude forces aggressive cooling trade-offs that directly influence pace consistency and tyre life.
Even so, Ferrari run competitively from first practice. A front-row lockout eludes them, but second and third on the grid confirm a strong baseline.
The team banks useful points and momentum ahead of Brazil. Leclerc and Hamilton aim to convert raw speed into a clearer win threat.
Leclerc secures a second consecutive podium, underscoring Ferrari’s upward trajectory.
Vasseur frames Mexico as encouraging and instructive. Closing the long-run deficit and widening cooling margins remains the focus before Interlagos.
Visual Summary
3
Hamilton
(penalized)
2
Leclerc
Ferrari Podium 🏆
71 Laps of Defiance
⇢
Verstappen chasing (but held off)
Verstappen chasing (but held off)
1
Norris
(winner)
▲ Altitude Challenge: Thin Air, Cooling Drama
Ferrari
secures P2, holds off late Verstappen charge
secures P2, holds off late Verstappen charge
Hamilton P8 ➔ drops after penalty
Mexico’s high altitude tests cooling & brakes
Momentum builds →
2025 Season: Points Race Continues
Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.
